Broken Reflections
by Jonathan Anubian
Summary: During the usual nightmare Sans finds himself staring at a strange reflection of himself. But something is wrong. When he finally wakes he isn't surprised to find Papyrus in his room, staring down at him. But he is surprised by the changes in his brother since he'd fallen asleep. Who is this evil imposter, and why doesn't his magic work anymore? An Undertale meets Underfell story.
1. Nightmares

His nightmares always started out the same way. Flashbacks to a bad Reset where the Human annihilated them all without resistance. Where either he lost his brother first and experienced the terror of being alone, or he died and imagined that his brother must have been livid at his failure.

But something about this nightmare was different. At one point he had been about to be cut down, again, when the world beneath his feet shattered and became a gaping maw that swallowed him whole. If the whole experience hadn't been utterly different from his usual nightmares he would have been in more of a panic. As he fell down into the darkness he felt enveloped in almost a warmth, a strange sensation for a Skeleton that lived in an icy village.

Before he knew what was happening something seemed to be coming closer to him. Growling defensively he tried to move to use his powers but found them out of reach. Panic began to set in and his body was soon covered in sweat from his trembling.

When he came closer he realized that what he was approaching seemed to be a mirror and he sighed in relief. Staring at himself he was about to sneer when he realized something was wrong with his reflection. The first thing he noticed was the lack of gold tooth that Papyrus had given him in an attempt to make him look more menacing. The second thing he noticed was that this reflection was wearing what appeared to be a worn out blue hoodie. That wasn't right. Glancing down at himself he saw the same black jacket he always wore. Shaking his head he looked back at the reflection in confusion. Slippers? Like hell he'd ever wear fuzzy, bitch-ass, slippers.

Reaching out his hand to touch the reflection he was astonished when it reached out the opposite hand and touched the surface of he mirror the same time he did. But instead of a grimace of confusion there was almost a giddy curiosity on the reflections face.

Suddenly he felt a strange pressure wrap around him, this wasn't right and his instincts knew it. It was as if something was holding it's breath before a plunge. And plunge he did. Right into the mirror.

Waking with a start he screamed and reached into the air. To grab onto what, he didn't know. His breathing was a gargled wheeze that came in short gasps and his chest, his soul, felt like it was on fire. Covering his mouth with his other hand he rolled over, away from the door, and closed his eyes tight.

 _'Shit, shit, fuck! He had to have heard me. Fuuuuuuck! He's going to come up the stairs any minute. Shit, I'm in for it now.'_ Trembling as he heard hurried footsteps up the stairs outside his room he held his hand over his mouth and curled into a tighter ball. If he hadn't been in such a panic he might have realised that the sound of feet coming up the stairs was less menacing and more hurried. But he was too busy wondering what his brother was going to do to him to notice.

"Sans? Sans! You Lazybones! What are you shouting for?" Bursting into the room the taller skeleton rushed over to his brother, who was shaking on his bed. At first Sans thought he was going to be grabbed and hauled up, or maybe kicked out of the bed like usual. But instead his brother sat on the bed next to him, making him jump.

"Sans? What's wrong? You're shaking. Are you alright? Did you have another nightmare?" Rather than a menacing and angry voice what reached his ears sounded kind, worried. Surprised he opened his eyes and almost jumped when a hand lightly touched his arm.

"Wh-wha?" Turning to look up at his brother he felt a roll of fear rush through his body. This was not his brother. It certainly looked like him but his clothes and expression were all wrong. Even his magical aura was different.

"Sans, I can't help you if you won't tell me what's wrong. The Great Papyrus must know if he is to make everything better!" Who in the Fuck was this guy?

oooOOOooo

After falling into his bed Sans closed his eyes and sighed. All day he'd been plagued with flashbacks. It had been a disaster resulting in him actually snapping, Snapping, at Papyrus. The look of hurt and surprise on his face was enough to make Sans feel lower than dirt. All the times he lost Papyrus to a bad Reset, a human that wanted nothing more than to murder them all, and he was treating his precious brother like crap. The feelings he had to bottle up inside, knowing that Papyrus couldn't handle the truth, made it harder to function. Lack of sleep and proper food, since he kept forgetting to eat properly if at all, were taking their toll on him. Though Papyrus tried to make sure he ate at least his dinner the food he made wasn't quite... edible enough.

Closing his eyes he tried to take slow, deep, breaths to calm down the aching he felt in his bones. Was it any wonder he felt sluggish all the time with the weight of the horrible memories pushing down on him constantly?

Sans didn't know how long he lay there, focusing on nothing but his breathing. Eventually he opened his eyes and knew that this was either another flashback or a dream. Though everything had a tendency to blend together he could tell when his reality was slipping, it probably had to do with all the Shortcuts he took. Anomalies in the fabric of the different timelines were something he was both familiar with and understood fairly well.

Standing before him, brandishing a knife, was the tiny human. His heart sank. They were just a little kid. What could have happened to turn them into a psychotic killer in the first place?

"If you come any closer than that kid; you're gonna have a bad time." As his eye began to glow and he slipped one hand out of the pocket of his hoodie he felt a sudden pressure rumble through the space. Startled he whipped his skull around, trying to find the origin of the strange phenomenon. Beneath his feet the ground dematerialized outward from the center and sent him hurtling downward.

This was the first time he'd experienced such a strange happening while dreaming. Rather than be frightened it filled him with and odd sense of intrigue. As he flew through the black empty space, toward what end he did not know, he realized the sensation was much like his Shortcuts; though entirely different at the same time. The world around him felt compressed and thin, as if the space itself were holding it's breath.

Coming toward him was a vague shape that got clearer the closer he came to it. Curious he stared at the image as it began to finally make sense. Recognizing it as his own reflection he sighed, relieved that it was not some random flashback to a horrible memory. But something was off about his image and he noticed it immediately.

Rather than his normal teeth they were sharp and one was gold, what had happened there? Instead of his normal hoodie and white turtleneck he was greeted with a red t-shirt and black winter coat. The shorts were much the same, though different in the color of stripes. On his feet were sneakers that were a little worn, rather than the comfy slippers he usually wore everywhere. Why would he ever dress like an emo teenager? It made no sense.

As his reflection grimaced at him in confusion he peered at it curiously. Their faces were exactly alike. Trying to tap into his power, to see if he could use his magic, he felt something tug it back and realized he didn't have access. Since there was no real need to panic he decided to indulge his curiosity and reached out to the mirror. Rather than copying his actions the mirror vision of himself reached out with the opposite hand and they touched the glossy surface at the same time. Suddenly he was thrown forward and everything came crashing down.

Waking up in a cold sweat, his body feeling as if it was filled with ice-water, he curled in on himself as his cry of pain died down. Gasping he took quick, shallow, breaths as his body felt like one long ache. Deep inside his chest his soul felt like it was being squeezed and he couldn't help but cough. Though they didn't technically feel the need to breath the movement of his chest seemed to ease the pain somewhat.

Suddenly, from downstairs, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and shut his eyes, his face both conflicted and anxious. Papyrus was home. That meant he'd heard the yell of pain and he'd be coming to ask a million and one questions, try to fill him with horrible food, and complain that he wasn't telling him what was wrong.

 _'Shit. What am I going to say to him? I can't keep up the lies much longer... No. I have to. I can't burden him with this.'_ Turning away from the door so he wouldn't have to look at his brother he waited until the footsteps stopped in front of his door, fully expecting his brother to barge inside. What he didn't expect was the door to literally slam inwards and bang off the wall, the hinges creaking horribly from the force of the blow. Surprised at the noise he jumped slightly, his eye flashing blue for a split second. He also didn't expect that his power would send a jolt of pain through his body, momentarily crippling him.

"I Knew you were up here, you lazy sod! Sleeping when you should be working on your Puzzles, like the useless piece of trash you are." Eyes opening wide he felt a gloved hand reach down and grip his arm painfully before being twisted viciously onto his back. Blinking he stared up at someone that looked like a villainous version of his younger brother.

"P-Pap? Damn, I feel liked I'm chilled to the bone." A snort of disgust reached him as the black clad skeleton reached his other hand down and gripped his neck bones, holding him down roughly. Though he didn't need to breath the sensation of power streaming through the evil looking version of his brother that pooled around his neck made it hard for him to focus.

"Disgusting! Since when have I Ever given you permission to use such an atrocious moniker! And was that a Pun?" For a moment Sans's eyes became tiny pinpricks inside his sockets, as if his body just couldn't handle the situation he now found himself in. After a moment however he snapped back when Papyrus shook him and gave him a long, searching, look.

"Usually by now you would be shaking with fear, weak coward that you are, and either insulting me or making excuses..." So, this Papyrus was a little more observant than his own brother. That was going to complicate things.

"I don't think I'm in Snowdin anymore." He replied with faux levity. Anger flared in the imposter's eyes as he bodily lifted Sans from the bed and held him in the air, their skulls almost touching as purple energy flared in his eye. Creepy.

"Whoever you are you most certainly are not my sniveling weakling of a brother." Dropping him to the floor he sneered as Sans got to is feet and dusted himself off. Taking a second to survey the room he was shocked to find it mostly clean but had an uninviting feel to it.

 _'More like a Prison than a Bedroom.'_ He thought to himself.

"Welp. It was nice knowin ya." Grabbing hold of his power his body flickered momentarily before that deep chill settled into his body again. All at once there was a snapping sensation in the world around him and the pressure rebounded into his body. Agony rippled through his magic, sending him to the floor in a heap of hurt.

"It's obvious that you are just as weak as my pathetic brother." Leaning down the fake Papyrus gave him a grin that made him shiver in fear.

"I think I'll keep you." The menace in his voice, and the leering of his eyes, made Sans shake his head in horror.

 _'Just what the hell is going on?'_


	2. Warped Reflections

"Sans? Sans, what is wrong with you?" Chasing his brother into the hall he swung himself over the railing, with one hand, and landed in front of the stairs; penning his elder brother in. For a moment he thought that Sans would try to jump down to the first floor and reached out to grab him, worried about how the smaller skeleton was acting. Was he sleep-walking or something? That didn't make much sense. But with Sans he couldn't be sure. His brother was never one to tell him the truth and it was an endless battle with frustration.

"Don't touch me you-you... weirdo!" Pulling away, out of his reach, Sans eyes seemed to dart around as he trembled nervously. Suddenly his body seemed to fade, as if it was flickering, before he gasped and fell to his knees on the carpet; his hands going to his skull as he screamed in pain.

"SANS!" Dropping down to his knees he watched the light vanish from his brother's eyes and knew that he had passed out. Taking the smaller skeleton into his arms he stood, shaking, and wondered what had made his brother so panicked.

"I... what do I do?" As he looked down at the limp form in his arms his face grew determined and he rushed out of the house. If anyone knew what to do it would be Undyne. After all she was a Royal Guard.

oooOOOooo

Waking up Sans blinked away the haze that seemed to cover his vision as he tried to comprehend what the hell had happened. For a moment he thought that everything before had just been some horrible dream. That his mind had decided to get creative with all the jumbled timelines and had created the idea of Papyrus turning on him as a new form of self torture. But as feeling finally came back to his body he realized that he couldn't move. Looking up he saw that his arms were tied together with a length of rope and held above his head just tight enough so he couldn't pull them down. Feeling a chill run down his spine he glanced down at his body and tensed.

Gone were his fuzzy slippers and comfy shorts. Even his turtleneck had been stripped, though his hoodie had been put back on afterward. He was hanging by his arms, on his knees, in a dark room that he didn't recognize. Sitting up he grabbed the rope with his hands and with quite some effort managed to get his feet beneath him. Standing made him dizzy at first, his body weak from the earlier strain of trying to access his ability to Teleport. Once he was used to being back on his feet he fiddled with the not that tied his hands together but eventually stopped trying.

Sensing a presence in the room suddenly he shivered and turned to see the dark version of Papyrus standing at the bottom of the stairs, the only exit. He was watching Sans with that glowing purple eye, arms crossed while he leaned against the wall. A twisted grin had taken over most of his face and he couldn't help the twisting in his non-existent guts.

"Could you leave me alone right now? I'm a little tied up at the moment." Great, he thought to himself. This guy has me trapped in some weird dark basement and the first thing I do is antagonize him. Wonderful strategy.

"Hmph, that one was actually faintly amusing." Snorting he shook his head as he uncrossed his arms and stalked across the room, his body moving with the grace of a predator. No. This was most definitely not his younger brother.

"But as you can see I am only barely in the mood for games." Stopping in front of his captive he glared down at the smaller skeleton, making Sans twitch involuntarily. Without his ability to Teleport he couldn't just run away anymore. Since his hands were tied dodging was out of the question as well. So instead he decided to get serious. Closing his eyes as a gloved hand gripped his chin he frowned in concentration. The pain was there, blooming behind his eye and in his skull. But he was no stranger to pain and forcefully pushed past it.

Opening his eyes he stared up at the purple magic using Papyrus. That was it, he'd call him Purpyrus. Had a nice ring to it in his head. The blue flame appeared around his own eye and Purpyrus seemed intrigued rather than scared. Well, Sans'd just have to give him something to be scared about then. Gritting his teeth hard enough to hear a creaking sound he summoned one of the Gaster Blasters and aimed it at the dastardly monster that held his chin.

"Heh. Want to have a Bad Time?" At the moment Purpyrus did not look amused. But neither did he look frightened. Rather he seemed even more curious than before.

"Interesting. You seem to have more power and courage than Sans, yet you lack his cunning and apparently his wit as well." With a huff the skeleton let go of his chin and shrugged. At first Sans thought he was going to back off. What he didn't expect was a glove hand across the face that rattled his skull and rocked him back. Gasping he let go of the magic he'd gathered as stars danced across his vision. A dark cackle made him flinch as a blow to his rib bones made him fall to his knees, painfully pulling on his wrist and shoulder joints.

"Enough games. I see that you are hardly trained on how to behave in this world, if at all. Have no worry, the Grand Papyrus shall teach you your place." Taking something out from a hidden place he held up a small collar with little spikes on it. At first Sans just stared at it, his addled mind unable to make the connection between the words and the object. Until his darkly clad captor locked it around his neck of course.

 _'Oh shit, he meant it didn't he? He'd going to keep me here as some sort of Pet. The fuck?'_ Trembling from the residual pain of summoning magic and being struck, as well as the humiliation he was now suffering, Sans wondered again what kind of strange and fucked up dream he'd cooked up for himself. Of course he knew that it couldn't really be a dream, though he could hope.

As if he hadn't just struck the smaller skeleton Papyrus gently caressed his cheekbone, almost tenderly. For a moment he seemed content just to look at Sans, which was fine until he remembered that he wasn't wearing anything but his hoodie and it wasn't even zipped up. A dark blue blush of magic crossed his face as he glared at his captor.

"Hmmm. Sans calls me Boss, as is proper. But you are not my brother, however similar you seem..." It seems he was distracted thinking of something. Maybe if he tried his teleportation powers again he could make them work. The pain had been crippling before but if he could handle a Gaster Blaster he might be able to ride out the pain.

"You shall have the pleasure of calling me Master then. Yes, I quite like the sound of that. How about it then?" Sans couldn't even look at his face as a lascivious leer quickly traveled up his exposed bones.

"Master of what? Emos?" Now he couldn't even come up with a good pun, dammit. Why did he have to open his big mouth anyway? As he suspected this resulted in another shot of pain. But this time it was with the strange purple energy that seemed so discordant with his own blue. In his chest his Soul shivered and tried to shift away, completely repulsed by the purple Soul's presence.

"I'll have to start training you from the very beginning it seems. I never thought I'd wish for the day my pathetic brother were in my presence." Though he said that there seemed to be a hint of worry in his eyes as he watched Sans every movement.

"For now you can stay here and think about how you should address your Master from now on." With another dark cackle he let go of Sans and retreated up the stairs. Before Sans fell back against his bonds he heard the sound of a key turning in a lock. Even if he did untie the ropes there might not be any escape.

 _'What the hell did I do to deserve this?'_

oooOOOooo

Finally having reached Undyne's home he quickly explained that Sans was sick and acting strange. Even though he had a gruff exterior she listened carefully to Papyrus's worried ranting before she suggested they head over to Alphys's lab. As the Royal Scientist she might know what to do. Now, currently, they sat in silence as the shy Scientist ran important tests on the unconscious skeleton. After a short while she came back into the room. Immediately Papyrus sprang up from his seat, his body twitching with nervous energy.

"How is he? How is my brother?" Looking a little shaken the yellow monster smiled in what she thought was an assuring way, but she was war too nervous and it showed.

"W-well. He's not sick, I c-can t-t-tell you that. But it s-seems like his Soul is unstable. Th-that shouldn't really be possible. It's almost like the energy in the air is trying to reject him. B-but that's never happened before. To Anyone! I... I... I don't know how to help him." Tears sprang to her eyes and she quickly tried to wipe them away with the arm of her lab-coat. Papyrus stared at the floor, his mitted hand balled into a fist.

Long moments of silence passed where the only sound was the occasional hiccup from trying to hide her helpless tears. But papyrus refused to believe something like this was happening. Filled with a feeling he could only describe as unyielding hope he pushed past Alphys and walked into the examination room where Sans was laying on a metal table.

"Wh-what are you doing!?" Ignoring Alphys's question and Undyne's yell for him to stop he reached down and pulled Sans to him. This close he could see that even while unconscious his brother was in pain. So he did the only thing he could think of. With as much concentration and focus he could muster he pushed his Soul to energize his brothers. This could go one of two ways. Either the Soul would accept the transfer of energy and they would both be a little tuckered, but fine, or the energy would be rejected; causing them both heavy damage in the process. It was a risk but Papyrus would do anything for his brother. Just like he knew Sans would do for him.

At fist he could feel the little red Soul close in on itself, as if it was trying to fend off his own Soul. But with his strength of Soul being far greater than his brother's Papyrus made the connection and the transfer was a success. It worked much like a defibrillator and Sans immediately woke up, gasping.

While their Souls were touching they both shared emotions and memories, though it was only for a moment. Papyrus almost dropped Sans in terror at the image of himself lashing out in anger while Sans huddled in on himself from the outpouring of love and affection. Neither of them were used to such things and it made the transfer feel quite awkward.

Feeling that Sans was frightened Papyrus would be angry, since he was not his actual brother, he snuggle the little lost red skeleton. Tears began to stream down his face as he feebly struggled to get out of Papyrus's hold.

"n-no. wh-what are you d-doing? Stop! Stop it! I'd already... given up... on hoping..." Dissolving into loud sobs and mumbled curses he nearly drowned in the warm feelings of this alternate version of his brother until the transfer's effects finally wore off.

Turning to Undyne and Alphys the taller skeleton smiled sadly at then, his body trembling slightly from the loss of magical energy.

"This is not my brother. But... I think he should stay with me." This just made Sans cling to his scarf and cry all the harder. He couldn't remember the time someone had shown him kindness that wasn't tainted with a hidden scheme or motive.


	3. Soul Echoes

The trek home had been hard for the both of them. The Sans that was not his Sans continued to cry, clutching at him as if he were the only life-raft in the midst of a raging storm. Seeing someone, who looked like his older brother, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest piece made him feel tears of his own well up. It took every ounce of his strength to get them all the way back to Snowdin and settle the red Sans down onto the couch with a warm blanket.

At first it seemed like he had settled down a bit and could be left alone so he was about to head into the kitchen, they'd need something to eat after that ordeal, but red Sans would not let him get up.

"p-please br-boss? stay with me. j-just for a little bit..." The hesitation in his voice when trying not to call him brother made Papyrus's heart sink. So the things he saw had been true. This Sans wasn't treated very well by his brother after all. An aching in his heart and a sinking in his gut made him settle back down onto the couch, pulling the other Sans down so that his lap could be used as a pillow for the smaller skeleton.

"Please, call me brother. Even Papy or paps is okay; Sans is so lazy he always shortens my name anyway." Tentatively he reached down and started to stroke the smaller skeleton's head in a soothing gesture. As soon as his hand touched Sans's head he tensed, as if waiting to be struck. But once he realized that Papyrus was only intending to soothe him his body slowly began to relax.

"...s'this heaven? did I die in my sleep after all?" For a moment Papyrus hadn't understood what he said, he'd slurred the words and was mumbling. With wide eyes he looked down at Sans and frowned.

"You shouldn't say things like that! That would mean the Great Papyrus is also dead. And that simply cannot be!" Speaking with confidence and authority, though his confidence was actually quite shot at the moment, he tried to reassure the monster on his lap that everything was going to be fine.

"I know this will be a hard question to answer but... d-did your brother really do all those things to you?" The concern in his voice made Sans's head swivel to look up at him, surprised yet curious. It was probably the first time he hadn't seen full blown panic on his face as he contemplated the question.

"y-yeah. I can understand why though. I'm a useless, lazy, pathetic, fucking coward after all. I just hold him back from achieving his full potential..." A small sob came out of him as he began to tremble. Being so close after the transfer he could feel the emotions welling up from Sans as if he were screaming them at the top of his lungs. What he felt did not fill him with any sort of ease.

"That's not true! You work hard don't you? Even with all the nightmares, and the stress of being a one hp monster, you work hard. I've seen it." Clenching his fists he stared down at Sans and smiled, his own Soul flaring into a state of hope, kindness, and love once again. Shrinking away from him slightly the red Sans gasped.

"h-how can you be so n-n-nice to me?" Papyrus smiled at him, that big, bright, smile.

"Because you are my brother! More or less. Anyway. I am going to go make us something to eat. You rest here, seeing as how you are not feeling well. I will just be over there, in the kitchen, if you need anything." Nodding he gently lifted Sans's head off his lap and stuffed a pillow beneath him before letting him down again. After tucking the blanket around his small body he hurried into the kitchen to start making food.

As soon as he was out of sight he leaned against the wall and clutched at his Soul. The pain he felt from Sans's Soul was almost enough to shatter his own. He was so without love and affection that he was already deep into a depression, so deep Papyrus wondered how he even had the strength to talk let alone fight. Another memory flashed through his head and he flinched slightly from the pressure.

"I'm going to do my best to make him happier. Though he is not my brother he is still Sans!" Finally settling on a plan he whistled light heartedly while he began to cook dinner. Everything would be alright, he'd make sure of it.

oooOOOooo

Laying on the couch a few feet away Sans stared blankly up at the ceiling in disbelief. His entire body was filled with warmth. At first it had been like someone shining a light directly into your eyes after you'd been in pitch darkness for hours, except on his Soul. It was blinding and uncomfortable. But after that jolt of energy stabilized his magic he was able to finally settle down and realized that the warmth wasn't trying to strangle him. It had been trying to get inside and strengthen his Soul in order to keep him from turning to dust.

Inside he was reeling from the shock and hadn't yet understood completely what was happening. He was almost certain that he was either having the nicest dream ever made or he was dead and this was heaven. The warm blanket and homey decor on the walls were so comforting that for once he wasn't shaking. The sound of Papyrus in the kitchen humming and making food choked him up once again.

 _'How? Why?'_ He asked the universe from the privacy of his own head. How had, wherever this was, turned out so different from his own home? Unconsciously he brought his hand to his skull and started to bite on his index finger.

 _'His Sans... he's a lazy loner. But... but even when he screws up and lazes about. Why? Why doesn't he get hit? Why does he get all of Papyrus's love and affection when he does nothing! I work my ass off all the time! I-it's not my fault that I fall asleep suddenly. I just get so tired...'_ So deep into his own thoughts he never heard Papyrus coming until a shadow fell over his body. Looking up suddenly, his eye shimmering red defensively, he nearly jumped off of the couch as Papyrus looked down at him. But this wasn't his Papyrus.

"I'm finished with the spaghetti. I thought you'd want to eat it out here. We can watch tv together. What do you say?" With a slightly wavering smile he helped Sans sit up before setting the plate on his lap. As soon as he had a hold of it and it looked like it wouldn't fall he quickly left to go grab his own food. Leaving Sans to sit there in silence.

"..." Eating a bit of it he grimaced in disgust. It tasted awful. Yet as he sat there he shoved forkful after forkful into his mouth as tears began to stream down his face, obscuring his vision.

"Sans? Sans! Are you alright?" Giving a weak laugh he looked up at the taller skeleton and nodded.

"I've just... n-never tasted anything so delicious. Th-that's all." Papyrus just huffed and gave him a genuinely pleased smile.

oooOOOooo

Staring down at the table in his little dungeon he sighed halfheartedly and looked back at his prisoner. He had wondered how long it would take the smaller skeleton to pass out from exhaustion. It hadn't taken long at all. There seemed to be something wrong with his magic, he'd felt it earlier when the small monster tried to intimidate him. Him! The Grand Master Papyrus, of all monsters. Well, he could dock points for lack of intelligence later. For now he had more pressing matters. Like putting the fear of Greatness in the imposter who had tried to replace his brother.

Clenching his hand into a fist over his Soul he glanced down and forcefully stopped his trembling. The worry he felt for Sans was bubbling up again, but he wouldn't allow himself to be weak. Not now, not ever. Whatever had happened to Sans was because he had been too weak to help himself. But now he had an opportunity. One that he was going to capitalize on.

Taking a bucket of water from beneath the table he walked over to the sleeping skeleton, and with a practiced motion, completely soaked the hoodie wearing captive in ice-water. Seeing the look of surprise and near pain on his face made Papyrus smirk. He had always loved that look on Sans's face.

"What the Fuck!?" Looking at him in a mix of confusion and fury Sans shivered as the cold air of the dungeon hit his exposed bones. Rather than try to stand up to him, which would be quite difficult in his position, the smaller skeleton huddled in on himself. It was clear he was trying to keep warm and conserve energy. In fact, his Soul looked small and faded.

"Well, it's good to see you have some common sense after all." Tossing the bucket to the ground he stepped closer and gripped Sans's chin roughly with his offhand. Reaching up past his ribs he gripped the small blue heart and frowned at how weak it was. At this rate all the energy would dissipate in half a day, and Sans would be dead.

"You're dying. Well, we can't have that now can we. I'm sure you want to keep living in order to go back to wherever it is you crawled out from." Eyes narrowing Sans looked away from him but didn't put up any fuss. It seemed they at least agreed on one thing.

"Don't fight me." With that command hanging in the air he focused his energy into his gloved hand with ease. Touching Sans's Soul gently, he didn't want to damage it after all, he carefully started the energy transfer. Such things were to be done delicately. This technique was volatile and anything that went wrong would be calamitous.

Opening his eyes in surprise he almost jerked his hand away from Sans, but knew doing so would kill them both. So he clamped down on himself, trying to block out the images and emotions flowing between them. It was to no avail. There were, however, some interesting tidbits of knowledge that Sans possessed. Just like his brother Sans had the ability to move through space with just a thought. But unlike his Sans this one had more control of his powers, being less frightened of them. It was certainly food for thought.

oooOOOooo

As soon as their energy collided Sans gasped before letting out a low moan of horror. Everything he felt, everything he knew, it was all suddenly exposed. In the empty hole left behind memories and feelings from Papyrus began flowing into him. With each passing moment he could feel his strength returning. But his morale, already low due to his depression, was rapidly dropping. Eyes becoming pinpricks he tried to stop the overflow but found it impossible.

Soon tears were streaming down his face at the sheer cruelty this fake Papyrus had inflicted on others; on his brother. But the worst part had to be the cold calculations and schemes. All of it was like a deep chill that settled into his bones, and it had nothing to do with the cold water pooling or dripping in uncomfortable places.

"Gah, huh, Papy, eh? What a weak willed and pathetic creature. I am glad to say we are nothing alike." Sans felt, more than heard, the chuckle that came afterward but he ignored it. Just the words themselves were enough to make him bristle. Tearing his head away in a reckless move he bit down on Papyrus's gloved hand, eyes shining in fury. But rather than react Papyrus just stared at him, those cold eyes filled with more calculations. It made him shudder in disgust. If this was what could happen to Papyrus he was glad that his brother was a bit of an airhead.

"Oh, well here's something good~" Suddenly he felt a flare in his chest and choked as he bit down harder. Papyrus was doing something to his Soul. What, he had no clue. It was as if he was trying to tie something around him and he could feel the magic slithering over his heart.

"Let's see you try to disobey me now." A sneer of triumph as Papyrus let go of his Soul made Sans feel slimy all over. As if something were slithering around his bones. It made him shudder involuntarily.

"You think that biting down like that would bother me? Sans has far sharper teeth than you and these gloves are designed to deflect enemy attacks. As if you, with your feeble strength, could penetrate them." Realizing that it was true he reluctantly opened his mouth and let Papyrus have his hand back.

"Feisty aren't you? But then you would have to be. Unable to rely on your nimrod of a brother you had to outsmart your opponents with higher intellect and skill. I misjudged your intelligence, but not your brash nature." There was a gleam of something in his eyes that Sans didn't like and soon he couldn't help but to look away.

As soon as the energy transfer ended both of them felt the strain it had put on their magic. Papyrus tried not to show it but Sans knew how this worked. Turning away from him Papyrus walked back to the stairs as if he was about to leave. Glaring at him he waited, knowing that there was something else he was going to say. The echoes of their shared energy making it easy to detect.

"I must say, I quite like the way you look brother. Training you will certainly be entertaining." A deep throated laugh bounced off the walls, invading his mind, as the tall skeleton left. Hearing the lock slide into place again he sighed, relaxing slightly. Lucky for him that he was a skeleton and not a human or the rope certainly would have cut off something vital by then.

Sloshing around in his head were all the shared memories and though they weren't as strong as before they practically bashed against his skull, demanding to be sorted through. Defeated he closed his eyes as they flashed before him, as if he were living them himself. Accompanying thoughts and sometimes even emotions flowed through him and he felt like he was going to be sick. At first he had thought that maybe this imposter was another monster trying to pretend to be Papyrus, but the memories didn't lie. He was Papyrus. Or at least a version of him. Opening his eyes again he looked down at his soul and sighed in relief. With the extra energy his magic had stabilized and he was no longer in any danger. Which meant that if he was careful about it he could use his powers to get the hell out of there.

Concentrating on his most potent weapon he tried to call it into being, like he had before. This time there was no pain in his head, which was a good sign. Just as it came into being, however, a new kind of pain shot through him, like lightning. It made his body spasm sporadically and he let out a scream of pain. Gasping he frowned in confusion.

"Well that's never happened before..." Sweat dripped off his brow and as he looked back at his Soul, thinking that his magic might not have been able to fuel or sustain his powers yet, he spotted it. A dark thorn of purple shoved right into the center of his Soul. Eyes wide he shook his head in abject terror. Magic that took control over another monster's Soul like that had been... No. Wait. It Hadn't been outlawed in this world. This world's Asgore wouldn't care about something like that at all.

 _'I am royally screwed.'_


	4. Assimilation

A few days had passed since then and Papyrus was getting used to the Red Sans living in the house instead of his brother. At first it was really awkward, since he kept expecting to wake up and discover it was all a dream. But seeing those sharp teeth, one replaced with gold, always reminded him that this was his new reality. Sans was missing, but it was neither his nor Red's fault.

Since they had shared energy and bared their souls to one another, there was nothing secret between them. Though it did take a few days for some things to sink in. Like the fact that Red Sans actually loved his brother dearly, regardless of how he had been treated. And that he had the power to teleport. Some memories made no sense, since they seemed to either repeat or glitch, only be replaced with a similar memory later. But the fact of the matter was this; Sans had told his own brother everything. About the timelines, about how he was the only person who remembered, and about his powers. If all of it was true, then his Sans was probably suffering from a similar burden, and it made him sick to his stomach.

"Uh... Pa-Papyrus?" Coming out of his thoughts, Papyrus turned to Red and smiled. Currently he was in the middle of washing clothes and must have looked silly just standing there staring off into space.

"Yes Sans?" It was strange not to immediately call him brother, but both of them had acknowledged that they were, in fact, not really brothers. That didn't change the fact that Papyrus was going to treat him like family, however.

"D-do you want me to do that instead? I thought you had to go out on patrol..." So far things were looking pretty good. He'd been able to get the smaller skeleton to stop stuttering as much, and because he was trying his damnedest to be supportive and nice, he had even stopped shaking in fear whenever spoken to.

"Gee, that would be wonderful! I really do have to go out on patrol soon. Alright then. The Great Papyrus shall leave this task to you. I am sure you will do admirably." Giving him a broad smile he stepped away from the washing machine and went to leave the room. As he passed Sans he could see the skeleton's face was pointed downward, his chin tucked behind the fur on his jacket. Papyrus was about to stop to ask what was wrong when he noticed the pleased blush across Red's face. It was painfully obvious that this Sans was not used to compliments or praise. Which just made Papyrus want to praise him more. Maybe if he showered Red with affection, the cracked pieces of his heart might seal back together again.

"I shall see you when I return in three hours! Good-bye until then." It made him feel really awkward leaving Red alone in the house, but the other skeleton understood that Papyrus couldn't shirk his duties. Other than the first morning, where he had gone out to collect some groceries by himself in order to let Sans rest, he had stuck close to the smaller skeleton. It had been really nice of Undyne to give him that time off so he could care for Sans. He should come up with a way to thank her later.

oooOOOooo

When Papyrus left the house Sans sighed in relief. Being told he was amazing, being relied upon without judgement, and being told that he had done a good job were things he really wasn't used to. The outpouring of affection was unhealthy, in the way that too many sweets were unhealthy. If he kept getting this much praise he was going to become addicted and when he returned home he would have to not only deal with his own brother but with the loss of that affection. The thought of returning made him shudder as he took over Papyrus's chores and finished them quickly.

Some habits died hard was the saying, wasn't it? Even though this orange Papyrus was always being nice to him, making sure he got rest and didn't overreach himself, Red still couldn't shake the habit of trying to finish everything as efficiently and promptly as possible. Just thinking of the trouble he'd be in if he didn't get things done made him shudder and begin panicking a little. But his brother wasn't here.

Thinking about that didn't help his panic any. It was clear he was the outsider in this world, and even though Undyne and Alphys were apparently kind, much kinder than the ones back home, he still couldn't help but cower when they showed up or called Papyrus on the phone.

"I could really use a bottle of mustard..." Eyes lighting up he finished putting away the dishes and ran out the front door.

"If this really is Snowdin then there should be a Chillby's!" Concentrating on where he wanted to be he felt the darkness surround him momentarily, the pressure building in his bones, before he popped into existence in front of his favorite pub. Looking up at the sign he frowned. Grillby's? That didn't look quite right. Shrugging his shoulders he walked inside and was astonished how warm the interior was. Even more surprising was that, where his grudging ally usually stood behind the bar, there was a flaming guy who looked much the same. Though his presence was entirely different. Walking up to the bar he kept his eyes to the ground, trying to ignore the stares.

"..." Sitting down at the familiar bar, he felt a little less self conscious as he gave Grillby a grin.

"I'll have a bottle of mustard." For a moment the flame monster stopped, as if completely poleaxed. Even the room seemed a little quieter and he couldn't help but turn and glare menacingly at everyone who was staring. In his town people knew not to mess with him. Not just because he could kick their ass five ways to Sunday, but because his brother always found the scariest way to retaliate if their authority wasn't recognized.

 **'Even if you are pathetic you are still my brother. If people go around disrespecting you, then that will reflect poorly on me. That is the Only reason I defended you.'** The memory surfaced momentarily then dissipated when he turned back to Grillby, raising his eye-ridge expectantly.

"..." With a small laugh he shook his head and grinned up at the flaming monster.

"Yeah, I'm not." He had to hand it to Grillby, he was just as sly and observant as Chillby back home. It made for a good source of information. After all Chillby didn't really hide the fact that he had a thing for Sans. A flirt here, quickie there, or a good make-out session usually got him all the info he'd need to help his brother stay on top of everyone. Maybe that would work here. Maybe he could use his quick wit to help Papyrus gain more standing in the community.

"..." Taking the bottle of mustard from Grillby he gave the bartender a smile and sly wink.

"Since I'm not, you know, I think I better start my own tab here. Dontcha think?" Behind the glasses he could have sworn that the flame monster had rolled his eyes.

A couple of bottles later he was feeling very relaxed and a little tipsy. The mustard here was a little different from what he was used to back home. With a small hiccup he lifted his head from the bar to order another when the door to the pub opened with a bang.

"Sans!?" Swiveling his head to look behind him, eyes wide, he spied an angry Papyrus storming over. When he came closer the smaller skeleton began to tremble uncontrollably.

"d-don't hurt me B-boss! I-I'm sorry!" Cowering away from Papyrus, he waited for the pressure that meant papyrus had grabbed his jacket and was about to throw him to the floor. Grovelling was the only way out of his punishment and he knew it.

"What!? Why would I, the Great Papyrus, want to hurt you?" Looking through his arms, which he had brought up to block any potential attacks, he recognized that this was not his Papyrus. That realization made him lower his arms in confusion, his mind buzzing from his drunken state.

"I am sorry to disturb you again, Grillby. Thank you for always looking out for Sans." It was probably the first time he'd ever heard those words before. Papyrus was thanking someone for taking care of him? Tears sprang to his eyes.

"P-papy~" Sniffling he reached up to grip the taller skeleton in a way that his brother would have called disgraceful. But this Papyrus just smiled at him, before picking him up in order to carry him home. On the way back he sighed, frustration clear in his voice.

"Wh-wha's wrong?" Stopping, Papyrus put Sans down and gave him a stern look.

"When I came home to find you were gone, I was so worried that something had happened to you! That you had... vanished. Or maybe you'd gotten hurt or, or..." Or maybe he'd killed himself. That was the feeling he got from the other skeleton. Worry, fear that he would leave, fear that he would die, concern for his safety, concern for his happiness. All of it in one fell swoop. Flushing red he looked down and scuffed his sneaker in the snow, ashamed.

"Oh crap. I'm s-sorry Pap. I should have waited for you to come home. I caused you to worry..." Reaching out hesitantly he hugged the taller skeleton, even as his body tried to pull back and began to tremble. Papyrus already knew of his secret fear of showing weakness, and after what his brother had done to him, the taller skeleton didn't blame him.

"It's okay, we'll be okay. I just want you to remember that I will never hit you. Do you understand? Never." The conviction in his voice was enough to make Sans shiver in delight. All this hope couldn't be good for the Soul.

"Now let's go home and eat some spaghetti!" With a wobbly smile he nodded as Papyrus lifted him back up and shifted him onto his back. Clenching his hand in the red scarf, Sans couldn't help but smile into the warmth. Was this what love felt like?

oooOOOooo

It had taken the imposter two days to break down. Much longer than his brother to be sure, but certainly not long enough to achieve anything of worth. He'd had to be a bit rough, but that was just par for the course. With his magic invading the smaller skeleton's Soul he was able to monitor the fluctuations that would indicate sleep, hunger, and even the activation of his powers. So far, in those two days, he had only left the room for a moment. Once he had finished upstairs he came back down, retook his chair, and sat on it; one leg crossed over the other as he continued to stare Sans down.

"Can you quit staring at me? You're making me blush Tibia-nest." Raising an eye-ridge at the feeble attempt at a pun Papyrus sighed. Weak as he might be, this version of his brother certainly was far more stubborn.

"Honestly, your puns are getting worse by the minute." He shouldn't have even graced that pun with an answer. But he was curious how his prisoner would reply.

"Oh, you didn't find that one Humerus?" Reaching up to press his hand to his face Papyrus let out an audible coughing sound, hiding the fact that he had inadvertently laughed. Not only was this Sans stubborn but he had an amazing amount of guts for a 1hp monster. It was almost impressive really. But he was getting sick and tired of waiting.

"I would say my amusement is because you have yet to fall silent. I was planning on waiting until you were too weak to fight back before I started training you. But I see now that I will have to work harder. Rejoice; you have made the Grand Master Papyrus serious." Lifting his hand, so that it was within Sans's line of sight, he snapped his gloved fingers with a malicious grin.

"Gh-? Gaaaaaahhhh!" Hearing the sweet screams coming from that mouth made him sigh contentedly. From the thorn embedded in Sans's Soul purple tendrils of power spread out to latch onto, and squeeze, the blue heart. This caused immense pain that made his captive's body spasm uncontrollably. After a moment he snapped his fingers again, ending the torment.

"The next time you open your mouth it better be to grovel or beg." Due to the nature of the spell making the recipient unable to control themselves there was now a line of spit running down Sans's chin. His eyes had gone hazy as he gasped. Each sound was like music to Papyrus's ears.

"Wh-why are you d-doing this? How can you be so calm torturing your own brother?" With another snap of his fingers he sent a jolt of pain through the smaller skeleton, licking his teeth as Sans writhed in pain once again. This time he let the punishment last a little longer before stopping.

"This will only get harder the longer you try to resist."

oooOOOooo

When the intense pain finally stopped he sagged against the ropes, his knees weak and body quaking. It felt like his entire being throbbed with hurt and he could barely make a sound, let alone raise his head to resist. He was soaked with sweat, tired to the bone, and everything ached. Compared to this the kid killing him didn't seem so bad now. At least that was relatively quick.

"Now then. Are you going to beg me to stop?" The thinly veiled hostility in Papyrus's voice was enough to make his whole body shake in fear. Not of Papyrus himself, but of the pain. He doubted that even this horrible version of his brother would go out of his way to kill him.

"I'll just have to-" Panic flared inside of him and before he could stop himself he'd spoken up again.

"P-please wait!" Seeing the glare of annoyance he swallowed thickly before speaking again; his face flushed with the dark blue of utter humiliation.

"I mean, uh, please wait M-master." Eyes trained on the floor, too embarrassed to look up, he couldn't see his captor's face. Though the delight in his voice was plain as day.

"Excellent, I knew you were a quick learner. But you still spoke out of turn, so I'll have to punish you. Not right now though. I'll let you rest a while before we start on the next phase in your training." Sans could hear the chair scrape across the floor as Papyrus stood up and walked toward him. Refusing to meet his eyes he looked anywhere but at the purple bastard, as he had begun to call him in the privacy of his own mind.

"Be a good boy now, Master has to do some work." Too weak to fight back he felt his mouth invaded by a long ecto-tongue and shuddered in what he hoped was revulsion.

 _'This can't possibly get any worse, can it?'_


	5. Soul Bound

-Red-

One week of bliss and Sans was beginning to feel lighter than air. All of his insecurities seemed to whither and die whenever Papyrus was in the room. Each night they ate crappy food, usually spaghetti, and watched a new show from Mettaton on the television. Hugging and snuggling was something he had become accustomed to and even welcomed. But there was something missing. Though he didn't want to admit it he felt a strange absence that he couldn't describe.

"I am so surprised. You are not like my brother at all. You work so hard and are so helpful. If only Sans was this helpful..." Watching Papyrus try not to break into tears was probably the hardest thing about living in this version of Snowdin. As much as he wanted it he was not this Papyrus's brother. Clenching his hands he snuggled closer to Papyrus in an attempt to make him feel better.

"It'll be okay Papy, we'll figure it out eventually." Secretly, he felt his soul clench tightly in his ribcage as he tried to reassure the taller skeleton. Deep inside, his soul was screaming for him to make sure it never happened. That the other Sans, the lazy one who ignored his brother, didn't actually deserve him.

 _'I'm the one who can make him happy. I'll be the one to appreciate him.'_ This thought was only strengthened when he caught Papyrus in his room, crying into his arm as his thin frame shook with the strain of keeping back his sobs.

If it weren't for his cowardly and insecure nature he would have barged into the room and told Papyrus what he really thought. Wasn't he a good enough replacement? Didn't they deserve each other for how they'd been treated? Why hadn't this other Sans trust him enough to tell him anything? Why didn't Sans give Papyrus affection when he was clearly an affectionate monster? None of it made any sense.

Rather than try to sneak away he teleported to the room that wasn't quite his and flopped down on the bed. He had a lot to think about.

As he lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The absence he was feeling seemed to be growing. Something was missing and he was beginning to get frustrated trying to figure it out. He wasn't as clever as his brother, after all. Usually, when he was frustrated, he'd do something physical. It always helped him to think.

A moment passed before he remembered the perfect way to relieve stress and do something physical at the same time. Glancing at the wall that separated his room from his pseudo-brother's, he hoped the walls were as thick as they were back home, a red blush began to cover his face.

His magic was stirring.

-Orange-

Eventually Papyrus came out of his room, eyes tired and body feeling drained. If he hadn't wanted a glass of water he might never had noticed the muffled noises from the red Sans's room. Low moaning and gasping made Papyrus frown in concern. From the shared memories he knew that Sans had horrible, sometimes crippling, nightmares. Knowing this he couldn't just leave the poor monster alone to suffer. He'd worked too hard to get the other Sans to genuinely smile; he didn't want anything to take that smile away.

Opening the door without knocking, as Papyrus was sometimes prone to do, he was about to speak up when he froze in place. The door was only open a crack and it seemed that Sans hadn't heard him yet. Turning bright orange, his magic flaring in embarrassment, he swallowed dryly.

Kneeling on his bed, back end in the air, was Sans. Hiding his face in a pillow to muffle the sound of his moans his hand was wrapped around a glowing red member. Frantically he jerked his hand, letting his fingers linger over the tip, before sliding back down to the base. One hand was wrapped up in a rope he'd found from somewhere that he'd attached to the collar around his neck. Papyrus hadn't asked about the collar, since the first time he'd mentioned it Sans had looked devastated. It was something he never took off, but something that obviously held bad memories. Papyrus had seen the memory himself once and wasn't sure what to think about it. His other self had given it to Sans and demanded he wear it, as if treating him like a pet or property.

As Sans movements became erratic Papyrus felt his own magic swirl and flare up. It pooled in his hips, wanting to form into something solid, but he squashed the feeling flat. This was Sans. A different Sans, but it was still his brother.

"Ahn~ Pah-Papyrus! M-more~" Whole body going rigid he swallowed hard and closed the door as quietly as he could. He was certain his face was completely covered in a blush and fidgeted outside of Sans room for a moment, conflicted, before he raced back to his bedroom to hide under the covers of his racecar bed.

 _Wh-wh-what was that!?_

-Purple-

Once the first cracks began to show in a captive it was time to start taking advantage. At least that was what he'd always done, and he found it worked out perfectly. From the moment the Impostor first called him Master he knew he had carved out a hole big enough to begin digging his claws in deeper. After finishing his work for the day and keeping tabs on the rumors about his brother's disappearance he came back to the house. Locking the door behind him he stood in the living room as an evil grin crossed his face.

Downstairs in his personal dungeon he found the blue Sans passed out against his bonds. Coming closer he took a careful look at this monster who so resembled his brother. Everything about him was practically the same, save for three key factors. His appearance, his disposition, and the color of his Soul; which of course was also the color of his magic. No matter how he looked at him this captive was not his brother.

After a moment he shook himself angrily and glared at the sleeping monster before him.

 _'Why am I thinking about that useless waste of space to begin with?'_ Taking a deep breath to center himself he focused his full attention on Sans. Reaching down he used his magic to re-energize the weaker monster, since Blue hadn't had anything to eat since he was captured. Luckily food was only a luxury to them, since they could survive directly off of energy.

"Wuh! Huh?" Snapping awake the smaller skeleton looked around in confusion before he finally remembered where exactly he was. Looming over him Papyrus reached up one gloved hand and pressed it against Sans's chin, lifting his face so they could look eye to eye.

"Well, good morning sunshine. Have a good sleep?" Immediately the imposter looked down, shaking slightly in his fright. It was a sight Papyrus would always relish. Moments of silence passed before he growled angrily.

"Slaves answer their Masters when talked to." One small jolt of pain, just enough for him to pay attention and understand the consequences, had the smaller skeleton falling over himself to please.

"Yes, Master. I'm sorry, Master." Looking sceptical Papyrus hummed before letting go of Sans. Straightening he crossed his arms, one hand on his chin in an elegant thinking pose. It might have been a little early to start the next phase of training. But he already had a loose idea forming in the back of his mind. Silence permeated the room, heavy like fog, until he finally decided on a plan of action. It was a stroke of genius really.

"Try anything funny and I, the Grand Master papyrus, shall make you regret it. Understand?" After getting an affirmative nod, and a quick reply, he untied the ropes keeping Sans's arms tied above his head. Finally let go he practically collapsed to the floor in a heap.

"You are such a useless, pathetic, weakling." Expecting to hear an agreement he was slightly startled when he did not get a reply. That was when he began to silently berate himself again. When all was said and done this monster was not his brother. The one he had been training for years because of his submissive nature and weak constitution.

"Stand up." Barking at the captive he was pleased when Sans visibly trembled with effort. Once he was standing he made to zip up his hoodie, but Papyrus would have none of that.

"What do you think you are doing?" Stopping in his tracks Sans glanced up at Papyrus before letting his hands drop to his sides, looking both sheepish and worried.

"You've graduated from the rope but you are still far from finished your training. Come, sit." Pointing to a chair in the center of the room Papyrus waited a count of five before he sent a jolt of magic through the hesitating skeleton. Once Sans was sitting in the chair he quickly strapped him in, he wouldn't want his captive spasming all over the floor after all.

"Now. Do try to keep conscious, will you?" Then the screaming began.

-Blue-

Like before he felt the sensation of his magic being invaded, and it hurt like a bitch. If the straps hadn't been holding him onto the chair he was sure he would have been on the floor. As it was his body strained involuntarily against the straps and his head whipped about as he screamed. When it finally stopped Sans slumped forward, completely exhausted.

"Your name is Sans, and you are my brother." Feebly he tried to lift his head to reply, but it didn't seem this version of Papyrus cared if he answered or not.

"Wrong." A gloved hand whipped forward and cracked him across the face, almost rocking the whole chair backward.

"Not "this version of Papyrus." I _am_ your Papyrus. And you, you are my lazy trash of a brother." Sans was confused. There was no way that this Papyrus was his brother. But as he tried to think between the bouts of pain and the numbness he suddenly began having flashbacks to their life together in Snowdin. How he'd been training so long just to try and live up to his brother's reputation. All the times he'd run off to Chillby's to drink mustard until his brother had to come fetch him, and the punishments he received afterward.

"That's not tru-" More shocks of pain. He wasn't sure his weakened body could handle much more. A jumble of memories came flooding into his mind and for a moment he thought he might lose consciousness. A bucket of water dumped over his head was enough to stop that sensation dead.

"P-please! No more. I'm sorry B-boss!" Like a magic phrase this made Papyrus stop in his tracks. Flinching when he whipped around to glare at him Sans wondered if he'd just fucked up and made things worse. Oddly enough Papyrus smiled at him.

"Ah, there we go. Finally starting to remember who you really are Brother?" Nodding his head as he let out a shuddered sigh he felt his Soul begin to quiver in denial.

"Don't disappoint me again, Sans." Leaning into the kiss he closed his eyes and panted as his magic responded to his brother's touch. Pulling away Papyrus chuckled darkly.

"You're such a dirty slut." Sans almost wanted to sigh in relief at the approval in his brother's voice. Approval was a good thing, and he would do anything if it won him that approval.

After Papyrus left the room he went deathly still, trying hard to concentrate his energy inward. Sifting through the jumbled memories and creating two separate pathways was no easy feat. But Sans had once been hailed as a Genius. Something like a little brainwashing was not going to get the best of him.

 _'I will survive this and find a way home. Wait for me Papyrus!'_


	6. First Half

Note:  
Sorry it's taken me so long to post this. I was having a lot of financial problems which cause a lot of stress. Luckily I have a job now so that stress is halved.  
In other news, I'm now Engaged.

*Purple*

Days passed and he continued to 'remind' Sans just who it was he was dealing with. Whenever the smaller skeleton got out of line or forgot his place a quick shock of pain was enough to get him back into the swing of things. It didn't help that he wasn't nearly as skilled around the house as the original. It appeared that his intelligence and powers were far more developed but his stamina, endurance, and ability to take care of himself was sorely lacking. Once he'd implanted more memories, however, the chores in the house were finally being finished properly and in an efficient manner.

The only real problem came when he finally told Sans to discard the blue hoodie into the trash and he refused, clinging to it desperately like it was his only lifeline. It took threats and eventually a strong punishment to get him to dispose of the thing. Papyrus was sure to make his brother do it himself, since he knew it would further destroy his sense of self. Once the hoodie was gone he presented his brother with a jacket that was far more acceptable. At first he seemed hampered by it, not used to the weight or the fur tickling against his bones. But he adapted quickly. If Papyrus didn't know he had complete control he would have been a little frightened of Sans's ability to adapt in any situation.

Alone in the back room, poring over the three-dimensional map he'd made of the Underground, he started pondering what his next move should be. He had been training Sans to use his powers properly in order to plan the perfect assassination. If they could just get rid of Undyne then Papyrus could step in as the next Head of the Royal Guard. He would need to use blackmail, fear, and coercion to smooth things over with others vying for the position but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Wondering for the nth time where his brother was he finally gave up on planning and left the back room.

Entering the kitchen he noticed the mess and growled under his breath. Sans was pushing it with his slacking. Leaving the kitchen he stormed past the laundry room on his way to the stairs, believing Sans must be hiding in his bedroom and napping, but stopped just past the doorway. Peeking inside he saw Sans, standing with his back to the open door, folding the laundry. His body was slouched forward slightly and he let out a small sigh under his breath as he set the clothes down on the top of the washer.

"Sans!" Seeing the smaller skeleton jump and turn to look at him, his eye shifting blue for a second before he settled down, he felt something inside him snap.

"Oh h-hey Boss. D-did you need something?" Storming over to Sans Papyrus grabbed him by the collar, seething that the smaller skeleton had the gall to flash his eye. Not only was it a dead giveaway that Sans was not exactly his brother it meant that he'd been about to go on the offensive. While that was definitely better than his brother cowering, and something he'd been trying to teach Sans to do for a long time, he was upset that this blue version was not conforming to the image he held of his brother.

"I am tired of your slacking. I think it's about time I reminded you who is the boss around here." Shoving him against the dryer he saw Sans cringe as purple eyes were narrowed at him, though he didn't start sweating like he was supposed to. Sans, Sans, Sans. That was all he could think about. The differences between them was going to drive him mad.

Leaning forward he unzipped the heavy jacket Sans had taken to wearing around the house. Papyrus knew that the low cut red t-shirt made him feel uncomfortable, especially since it showed off his sensitive collarbones. Sans instinctively brought his hands up into a defensive position but Papyrus would have none of that. Using his power he forced Sans's wrists together, before pinning them to the top of the dryer. This made Sans bend backward, pushing his pelvic bone forward. Making his face flush blue as Papyrus pressed against him, lifting his shirt and stroking his ribs.

"Choose. Here in the laundry room or up in your bed. Be quick about it." His tone was low, menacing, and absolute. In a flash of nothingness they appeared on Sans's bed, Papyrus looking down at the smaller skeleton with lustful purple eyes.

"Now, where were we?"

*Blue*

Panting heavily he stared up at the other monster with glowing eyes. A long string of saliva connected him to the other, their tongues entwined. It felt like his entire body was being warmed from the inside. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew this wasn't what he wanted, not really, but it was what his body had craved for so long.

"Look at yourself. Useless." Those words, spoken in a low and intimidating voice, made him shiver in delight. Everything was so foggy, so confused. He had no control over himself anymore. The burning sensation in his body was getting so intense that it pushed out every other thought or feeling. With his arms pinned above his head and back against the bed there was no escape. His brother was too strong.

"Yes, I-I'm-muh ah~" As that gloved hand let go of his wrists and grabbed his neck he choked on the words he had been about to say. Instead he let out a moan of pleasure, which pleased his captor.

"You're just a dirty whore who begs for my touch~" Unable to reply he tried to lean forward, bringing his hands up to wrap around the other monster as the need to be closer overtook him. With a feral growl his wrists were grabbed again and shoved painfully into the bed, making him arch his back and hips. Grunting with effort the pace quickened suddenly, making him cry out plaintively. It was coming, he was close.

"Pah-Papyrus~" Screaming his brother's name when he came Sans felt the euphoria overtake him and fell limp against the bed. A few moments later had his brother sinking to his forearms, face flushed and eyes going hazy with pleasure.

"Sans." That low and angry tone sent a shudder of fear through him. What had he done wrong this time? He was certain he'd done everything right, that he'd played his role properly.

"How dare you use my name so casually. I am your Master and you Will remember that if I have to beat it into you." This time the hand around his neck was a lot less pleasurable. Coughing, though he didn't really need to breathe, he tried to smile in a pacifying way.

"Pl-please Master. I could b-barely think. It just slipped out, I p-promise it won't happen again..." For once his stutter wasn't feigned. Sans was genuinely terrified of what this version of Papyrus could do to him when angered. He'd already been chained, beaten, and electrified. He didn't know if he could handle any more.

"And what is This!?" Hooking his gloved hand around Sans's ribs he indicated the warm blue glow that always accompanied his release. It was the presence of that warm blue glow coming from his chest that reminded him who he really was. But it was also something that angered Papyrus to no end.

"Y-you know I c-can't change that..." It was a futile argument. Whatever had happened to this Papyrus had thrown him off the deep end a long time ago.

"Hm. Well, at least there is one thing I can change." Reaching past him the taller skeleton grabbed something from the night stand and brought a closed fist to rest in front of his face.

"It's almost time for your training to end. There are only a few loose ends to tie up before I will allow you out of the house." Whatever was in his hand Sans was sure he was not going to like. Upon opening his hand and revealing a golden tooth Sans felt his heart drop and stomach clench.

"Appearances are quite important Sans. I will not have you parading around like some lazy pushover. You need not worry, however. The Grand Master Papyrus is here for you. By the time I am finished you will never believe you have been anything but my worthless slut of a brother." And then it started again. The memories flooding into his mind, molding themselves around everything else. Forcing him to see everything from the perspective of the other Sans, to believe he Was the other Sans.

Screaming until he was hoarse he nearly blacked out from the pain. By the time it was over there was a puddle of drool on the bed where he'd collapsed into a boneless heap.

"S-sorry I'm s-so useless Master." A small smile graced Papyrus's face as he reached down to caress his brother's cheekbone.

"That is why I am here." Getting off of the bed he slipped his pants back on and did up his belt before turning back to look down at Sans. His eyes, as always, were cold and calculating.

"I almost forgot." Slipping the collar around his neck Papyrus gave him a self satisfied smile before kissing him. As soon as the taller skeleton left the room Sans let out a sound of frustration into the bed. Hands clenched and breath still uneven from enduring his time with the Tyrant he trembled from pain and exhaustion. In a way he felt lucky to have endured so much alone back in his own world. If he hadn't gone through so much pain and torment already he would probably have broken down, making his escape plans useless.

Sitting up with a grunt he looked down at his body and grimaced in disgust. He was covered with ecto-slime, purple and blue mixing together and coloring his bones. Picking up a shirt from the floor he donned it before trying to get to his feet. Everything felt wrong as he searched for a pair of shorts to slip over his hips, bruised from Papyrus's rough treatment. So far he had been able to convince the other skeleton that he was falling deeper and deeper into the brainwashing, which resulted in him being given more freedom in the form of helping with chores and moving about the house. Sans was sure that if he put even one phalanx out of place he would be shoved back into that cold dungeon for some re-education.

Opening the door to his room he looked over the railing, searching for any sign of his brother. When he found none he quickly came into the hall and shut the door. Speed walking to the bathroom, trying to act nonchalant, he crept inside and locked the door behind him, sagging against the wall in relief. Stripping the soiled clothes off he turned on the shower and turned the knob to as hot as he could stand before getting in. Hissing he clenched his teeth until he was used to the temperature before he went about getting himself clean again.

 _'What am I going to do about that gold tooth? He'll want me to be all eager about it, but what will Papyrus think when he sees me again?'_ Slamming his hand against the wall he let the water pattering against his bones slowly calm him. If Purpyrus turned his attention to the magic embedded in Sans's soul he would be able to sense his anger. Plunging into his own mind he coaxed his feelings back to their corner, to wait until the proper time to unleash them. Finished that he let the memories of the other Sans fill his mind and dove deeper into them. By the time he opened his eyes to turn off the tap and get out of the shower he was back in character again.

 _'Soon, all I have to do is wait for the right moment.'_


	7. Second Half

*Red*

He had underestimated Papyrus, big time. He thought that because this world was so peaceful there would be no fighting to speak of. But he was wrong. Papyrus might not have been very high in the ranks of the Guards, in fact the way the taller skeleton spoke of his training with Undyne he wasn't even a real guard yet, but he was stronger than he let on. So one day, a couple weeks in, Papyrus suddenly woke him; a wide grin on his face.

"Time to get up you sleepy-bones. We're going to do some training today!" With that said he left the room, whistling to himself, while Sans began to sweat.

"T-training?" Memories of the terrible things his brother had forced him to do for the sake of training had him trembling slightly with worry. No. This Papyrus was different. This one liked cooking and cleaning. He liked to watch crappy shows on the tv and snuggle, he had sworn he would never hurt Sans; and Sans believed him.

Getting out of bed he snagged a blue hoodie from the dresser and slipped it on. He'd fallen asleep in his t-shirt and shorts and he didn't really feel like changing them all that much. Putting on a pair of socks he yawned and headed down the stairs, wondering what kind of training they were going to be doing.

"Oh, you're up already! Good. The Great Papyrus is going to show you how it's done." Smiling up at the larger skeleton, his one gold tooth glinting in the light, he slipped on his sneakers before heading out the door into the cold.

Alphys had shyly suggested that he wear the other Sans's clothes around town, so that there wouldn't be any confusion, and though he hated to admit it the clothes were pretty comfy. But he absolutely refused to wear the dumb-ass slippers. Sneakers were better for defending against sudden attacks anyway.

"So... I know you have the same ability as my brother. But can you show it to me? I won't know how to train you if I don't know what you can do with it." Papyrus stared down at him with that wide grin of his, making Sans huff in good natured annoyance. It was always surprising just how perceptive this Papyrus was. Sure his brother was perceptive, although observant and cunning were better words for it. But this Papyrus seemed to have almost this super intuition about things. Something he figured the other Sans didn't pay much attention to.

"I'm not so sure..." He said slowly, glancing around at the buildings and the monsters hanging around outside. Luckily Papyrus caught on to why he seemed so distressed and suggested they go to a secluded area. He even grabbed Sans's hand and led him to a favored clearing for his training.

Looking around at the secluded area he felt his shoulder blades relax slightly. Now if he did use his power he wouldn't hurt anyone accidentally. Before he could think about what he was about to be doing, using his powers, Papyrus came to stand directly behind him.

"Alright Sans! Let's see what you can do." Papyrus said cheerfully as he put his hands gently on the smaller skeleton's shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. Giving Sans a broad smile he waited, curious and excited. Sans could feel no tenseness, fear, or rejection in the taller skeleton and soon felt himself relax under his hands. After a moment of stalling he lifted his hand, albeit hesitantly, and used his power to lift a large boulder. With the flick of his wrist he sent it flying across the clearing to slam into the ground. Silence filled the area and he flinched slightly, waiting to be reprimanded for some obscure fault.

"Wowie! So you can throw things with your magic, amazing! What else can you do?" The excitement and pride coming off the taller skeleton made him duck his head, hiding a small blush. Rare were the days where his Papyrus gave him outright compliments. There were days when his brother stated he was 'passable' but other than that it was normally angry insults and cuffing him for failing a task.

Papyrus noticed his suddenly dejected look and quickly gave him a small hug, looking at him kindly.

"Let's spar! I can't know how I, the Great Papyrus, is to train you if I do not know the extent of your abilities." Letting go of Sans he crossed to the other side of the clearing, though not too far away, and turned to face him. Sans didn't want to fight. Every time he fought his brother he lost, and it always terrified him how far Papyrus was willing to go to turn him into a weapon. Yes, he knew of Papyrus's plans for him. No, he really didn't want to go through with them. If, when, Papyrus gained power he was sure that no one would be safe.

"If you won't attack first, then I shall!" Snapping out of it he easily dodged the first few attacks, which made Papyrus laugh happily.

"You are very Agile! Unlike my lazy-bones brother. Keep it up." Rather than attacking him in a manner that suggested a killing blow the taller skeleton was making a game of it. Every once in a while he'd call out compliments, jokes, and criticisms. But none of them were ever nasty or intending to distract him from what they were doing. By the time they were starting to really go at it Sans actually started sending attacks back. When he tossed a particularly tricky attack at Papyrus the taller skeleton beamed.

"There you go!" Eventually they both became quite tired, which was odd to him. Papyrus should have been able to keep up with him and them some. Usually his brother would scold him for being lazy when he finally collapsed into the snow, sweating from nerves and exhaustion.

"That was so much fun, we'll have to do this again soon." Papyrus laughed as he plopped down into the snow and sank a few inches. Sans had mixed feelings about this as he sat in the snow with his brother from an alternate world. It was so strange to see a Papyrus that was constantly happy and giving out encouragement. But not strange enough that he wanted the taller skeleton to stop, oh no. This was a dream he'd had ages ago and given up all hope of it ever becoming real. Shivering slightly he curled in on himself. He'd used his powers! But not once had he been threatened or told that he should test his powers on some unsuspecting monster.

Looking at his own hand he closed it into a fist and sighed. Noticing his unease Papyrus lifted his head from the snow and gave him a small smile.

"Your powers are a part of you. You shouldn't have to be so afraid of them." Laughing dryly he nodded and flopped backward into the snow. Both skeletons lay there a while. How long, Sans had no clue. But eventually his brother stood up, brushing snow off of his costume, and held out his hand so he could help Sans up. Taking his brother's hand he was practically lifted off his feet before the taller skeleton let him go. Putting his hands in his pockets he followed Papyrus back into town. Stopping once, he turned to scan the area they had been practicing in and smiled.

"Maybe a little training wouldn't be so bad."

*Orange*

Once the day was over and the brothers had finished with their patrols, chores, and dinner Papyrus tucked his pseudo-brother into bed and waited until he knew the smaller skeleton was asleep. Heading downstairs he glanced at the time and sighed. Hopefully Sans wouldn't wake up from a nightmare while he was away, that would be really bad. As much as Sans put forth a tough guy exterior Papyrus knew that he was really scared, lost, and lonely. The echoing emotions between them spoke of an abusive home environment where he felt unwanted and unloved. Some of the memories he'd received made him turn red with anger and it took all of his self control not to let his own powers rage around him. He might not be as magically inclined as his brother, but he could be just as destructive if he decided to let go of his iron will.

Closing the door and locking it behind him he began walking at a quick pace, deciding not to stop for anything. It had been a few weeks now and he was slowly becoming more anxious about Sans. As much as he wanted to keep the little red skeleton around he knew that his own brother was somewhere dangerous. Even though he was the younger brother he knew that Sans relied heavily on him for support. His powers, his low health, and his torn psyche all played a part in making the small skeleton fragile, like pottery that had been dropped and put back together with tar multiple times. The nightmares where he cried out in the night, his drunken mumblings about everyone dying, he couldn't comprehend what his brother had gone through. But there was a heavy sense of deja-vu that followed them around and he knew it was due to Sans's powers. Especially once he'd shared memories with Red.

Taking the mysterious ferry down to Hotland he made it to Alphys's lab and knocked on the door. A minute passed and the scientist opened the door with a shy smile. She didn't need to ask why he was there, she already knew. Without any ado he came inside, the door closing behind him, and sat with Alphys at one of her many worktables. Quickly she brewed some hot water and had tea ready in minutes.

"So how are th-things going with the R-Red Sans?" She asked tentatively. Papyrus gave her a sad smile.

"He's doing a lot better than before. He will now smile, laugh, and even make jokes. He no longer shakes, jumps, or trembles as if he'd waiting for someone to bark at him or hit him. The fact that I've had to teach him to not be so scared of everything, so scared of me..." He wanted to say that it was weighing on his soul, that he didn't think he could handle being around this broken version of his brother any longer; but he couldn't. Papyrus knew that right now he was all the small red skeleton had between him and suicide. The fact that he'd endured so much and was still craving affection from the beast that had hurt him so much proved that he was truly a loving monster at heart. It nearly broke Papyrus every time a flash of surprise came over Sans for being praised or cuddled. It was all he could do to focus on the problems at hand and not the whereabouts of his brother.

"W-well I have s-s-some g-good news and bad news. Wh-which do you want first?" Alphys asked nervously. Whatever it was he was sure that he wouldn't like it.

"Bad news first please." He said, knowing that whatever hope there was he would rather hear it last, so that it was freshest in his mind.

"Sans is in Red's world. I c-can prove it. B-but that means he's w-with the Other you." She said quietly. Papyrus's hands, surprisingly gloveless, clenched around the cup to the point where his bones began to creak. The look on his face scared the yellow scientist into silence, worried that he was going to throw the cup or worse. But after taking a few deep breaths his old smile was back.

"I hope the good news is really good." He stated with that same cheery voice he always had. Alphys nodded.

"I-if my calculations are right then I should be able to open a portal to the other world." The look of hope and happiness on the skeleton's face made Alphys begin to sweat a little. She was always worried about letting people down. She would hate to let down someone with such a sunny disposition like Papyrus. Seeing him break down, you knew that things were truly hopeless.

"It will take a lot of time and magical energy. B-but it's less than half the power of the Barrier so I think with a f-few other Monsters we c-can do this." She said as joyfully as she could. Though she didn't want to give him false hope, she also didn't want to deny him any hope at all.

"Is th-there anything else b-b-bothering you?" Looking off into the distance Papyrus almost missed her question but stopped, contemplating what he should say.

"I think that the Red Sans... is in love with his brother." And by extension, himself. But he didn't want to tell that to Alphys. It was too embarrassing. Alphys's eyes went wide behind her glasses and she fiddled with them momentarily, not sure how to respond to that.

"The things I've seen from his memories... the emotions I can feel from him. They... they make me wonder about my own brother?" He said, almost as if it were a question he was asking himself. It was clear he didn't want to doubt his brother but it was very confusing for the taller skeleton.

"Well I... I d-don't really know. M-maybe when he's home you c-can ask him about it?" She suggested politely. Though inside she was squealing a little since this was very much like one anime she was watching. She only hoped that both of the skeleton brothers ended up safe and happy in the end, they certainly deserved it.

"Thank you for talking with me, The Great Papyrus! I will be sure to keep you informed of the Red Sans's developments." He said cheerfully as he stood up from his seat, smiling like his usual self. It was clear that some of the stress he'd been under before was gone and Alphys was glad that he seemed back to his old self again.

"I must return home now, in case Sans wakes up and I am not there." Waving to Alphys as he left he headed down to the Ferryman and rode back to Snowdin. When he had a moment alone, and was sure no one else was around, his magic flared dangerously for a moment, mirroring his anger. If the other Papyrus had hurt his brother they were going to have words, and probably fists. It took him a while to calm down but eventually he went home, checked on Sans, and went to bed.

Laying there in his racecar bed he decided. If he could keep both of them he was going to. The other Papyrus was cruel and evil, he shouldn't be allowed to have a brother until he could learn to stop hurting others. With this happy thought in mind he finally fell asleep.


	8. Anamalous

*Red*

Eyes closed he felt the weariness seep out of his bones as the darkness of sleep claimed his body. A familiar coldness swept over him and he slowly opened his eyes, half expecting to have lost his blanket while he flailed around. Surprise rushed through him as he realized he was floating in the midst of a vast nothingness. Whipping his head around groggily he slowly began to recognize the space he now found himself in. As a faint glow rushed toward him he spied the mirror that had invaded his dreams almost a month ago. Watching it warily he tested to see if his powers would work but found that he had no access to them. Glaring at the mirror he noticed lines running through it, like a fine spiderweb that was barely visible. As he was looking at it a fist suddenly slammed into the mirror in front of his face and he back-pedaled, using his arms like a windmill.

"You!" Was the low growl that came from his reflection. And this time it was his reflection, or at least that's what he thought at first. Until he took a closer look. His clothes, his glare, but no crack in the skull or gold tooth.

"You're the other Sans, the Blue one, aren't you?" Again the reflection banged against the mirror. It was almost as if he was trying to break through and get to the other side.

"Go back to your own world! Back to your psychotic brother." Red scoffed. There was no way he was going back there. Watching the other Sans pressing against the mirror a thought slowly started to form in the back of his mind.

"You can't come back through without me, can you?" The other Sans stopped, glaring daggers at him from across the pane of glass.

"It's the equilibrium of the spaces. If two of us appear in one world it would destabilize everything. Might take a week, a month, a year. Eventually the world would collapse in on itself. So would the one without a Sans. Though the one without a Sans would take a lot longer to destabilize." This information made Red look down at the ground. Without a Sans the world would eventually collapse? That meant his brother and everyone else he knew would die. Shaking his head violently to clear it he smirked smugly at the Blue version of himself.

"Well that just means we have to stay where we are then, doesn't it?" A long string of curses came from his other self and he feigned shock.

"Do you kiss your brother with that mouth?" That was the moment when his reflection began to emit a killing aura strong enough to be felt through the mirror.

"If you even dare to touch my brother I will find a way to end you." Before Red could try to make a comeback he was suddenly thrown out of the mirror world and snapped back awake. Blinking in confusion he stared around his room and sighed when he saw the familiar tidy bedroom with a blue hoodie folded on top of his dresser. Turning onto his back he stared at the ceiling and wondered if what he was doing was the right thing. The other Sans obviously cared for his brother, if he was willing to kill for him. But was he good for Papyrus? Eventually he punched the bed angrily, rolled over with the blanket, and forced his eyes closed. It didn't matter. He was the one in this world with the kind Papyrus and the other him deserved his fate for being such an ass.

*Black*

Watching the exchange between the two displaced beings he sighed.

After sensing an anomaly in this section of the Ether he had rushed to find nothing wrong. But on further inspection he realized that something, or someone, had passed through the barrier between spaces. The mirror was thinner than before and cracked terribly, as if two strong forces had impacted it on both sides. Black and white magic swirled about him as he began repairing the damage. Time did not pass in that place, as time did not exist, but he sensed that it had been a while since the mirror had been visited when he was interrupted by the Anomalies. Hiding his presence within the nothingness he observed their back and forth, coming to the realization that they were very clearly not where they were meant to be. It was why the mirror was being so resistant to his attempts to repair it. Sliding through the nothingness to the side of the blue magical presence he listened to the explanation of why they could not both be in the same world and he smiled, nodding his agreement.

 _'Sans was always the brightest of my students. Our students.'_ He mused silently to himself. Having visited every world, even those that no longer existed, he knew of the different relationships between the skeleton brothers. Somewhere in the back of his mind a few tiny voices screamed that it was wrong. But they were drowned out by the other voices who wished nothing but happiness for the two. One of the strongest supporters remembered a time when he had been called Father, for one reason or another. One of the strongest opponents to this being the Creator, that had once called them experiments. For a moment he allowed them to war, unbidden, before he put a stop to it. Silencing the different thoughts had taken both a millennia and a moment to master, but he was glad he finally had them under control.

Slipping in through the cracks of the world where the blue being had originated he spied the red one taking up the space left behind and frowned. Touching his thoughts he sifted through every memory within reach. As a neutral presence he both sympathized and chided the red being for his decision to stay.

Without further ado he ventured through the world, slipping in and out of time and space as easily as if they had no sway on him. In truth, they did not. As a presence that technically did not exist anywhere he was both here and there, alive and dead. Eventually he found the time and place he was looking for and popped into existence, not that the two in the room would ever notice.

He listened to the plan Alphys had come up with and frowned. To forcibly pass through the mirrorverse and into another world would punch a hole through both worlds, which could end in the destruction of both. A tingle of magic ran through him and he straightened. This was something that could not be, something that must not happen. He would have to monitor their progress to ensure that this did not come to be.

Having finished his observations he faded back into the mirrorverse to bide his time.

*Blue*

Waking from the dream with a groan of pain he realized that Papyrus had punted him off the bed. Rather than defend himself he just turned slightly, gave a frail wave, and bid his brother a stuttered good morning. Cold purple eyes watched him, arms crossed and foot tapping against the floor with impatience. As much as Sans wanted to just unleash all of his fury at both the Tyrant and his asshole brother he bottled it up and got to his feet shakily.

"You useless layabout! Get dressed and come downstairs immediately!" Stated the taller skeleton in an angry growl. Diving for his clothes he made a show of getting ready and watched Papyrus from the corner of his eye as he left the room, slamming the door behind him. Taking long, slow, deep breaths he finished getting dressed and headed down the stairs hesitantly. This was not going to be good, he was sure.

"What's up Boss?" Walking into the back room he spied the Tyrant looking over his map, his pose one of deep thought. When he finally noticed Sans he sighed, giving him a small glare, before he began pacing.

"It has been too long since we have gained any pertinent information. Chillby, our informant, can not be seen talking with me. However, since you frequent the bar to get plastered," he glared balefully, "nobody suspects that we are mining him for information. We've been in the dark too long. Once your shift is over I want you to go to Chillby's and see what you can get from him. If he raises a fuss tell him he will be dealing with me." Papyrus said imperially before waving him off.

"Of c-course Boss. I'll just g-go now..." Backing out of the room he hurried to slip into his sneakers and head out the door, head covered by the hood of his coat and hands stuffed into his pockets as he walked. Frowning at the ground he hid his face in the fur as he walked to his usual Post. So far he hadn't heard hide nor hair of the human coming through, and it had been a month since he'd switched places. The other Sans didn't seem all that worried about it either and somehow he could sense there was something wrong with the fabric of this universe. Every time he used his teleportation powers it felt as though the cold wind between the spaces had stopped, something he'd always assumed was just part of the compression of his magical presence.

Mumbling to himself he almost missed the person that came up to him from his left. Sensing the threat he turned, his magic responding by gripping hold of their core. The monster stood frozen, hands empty and eyes wide in confusion.

"You shouldn't sneak up on someone like that; for your own good." He said with a growl as he teleported a few feet away, letting the monster go in the process. Luckily his hood had been up so the monster hadn't seen the color of his eyes change. Taking a couple deep breaths he finally made it to his post and sat behind the little wooden stand. Time ticked by slowly and he made due by amusing himself with practicing his powers, sculpting snow as best he could without leaving his station. He knew that if he fell asleep he might very well be stabbed or worse. Papyrus might find him sleeping and flip out on him. He didn't need another punishment so soon after the last one.

When he judged the time was right he headed back into town and found Chillby's bar. Having been coached days ago on the cover story for why he'd been away he felt he was ready to confront the residents of this world as Red. But the Tyrant had few memories of his brother's dealings with Chillby, so Sans was essentially going in blind. Deciding not to sweat it he fell further into character and shoved the door open.

Immediately the place fell into silence as he crossed the floor, angrily glaring at anyone who was staring at him. Finally making it to the bar he sat down and gave the monster behind the bar a cheeky grin.

"Ey Chills." He said in Red's snarky drawl. The green flame monster behind the bar looked surprised and pleased to see him, it seemed as though his demeanor was a lot more open than Grillby back home.

-Sans, nice to see you back here again. Have one on the house.- Picking up the mustard bottle he drank deeply, hiding a grimace. Mustard wasn't really his drink of choice.

"Sweet. Nice to see someone around here appreciates me." Winking at the flame monster he was surprised to hear a dark chuckle. Reaching forward the monster, burning ice cold rather than hot, patted his unoccupied hand almost gently.

For a while he just sat in the bar, only drinking about half the mustard and teleporting the other half into the river. The yellow liquid was so sour he could barely stand it. But rather than try to hide his face he instead glared at the bar, or anyone that started to stare at him again. Sans didn't really know any of the code-words Red and Chillby used in their dealings with each other so he was uncertain how to get information from him. Luckily it was taken out of his hands.

-So, how are you going to pay for all that Mustard you've been drinking?- Asked the flame monster suddenly. Sans raised an eyeridge at him and shrugged.

-Again! That's it, come out to the back. You and I are going to have some words!- Realizing that Chillby was giving him an excuse he allowed the bar owner to grab him by the scruff of his coat, haul him across the bar, and take him outside to the back of the bar. Once there Chillby let him go and crossed his arms, looking him over carefully.

-You really were sick, as the rumors said, weren't you?- Sans shrugged and leaned against the wood of the bar, looking away from the other monster.

"Think whatever you like. I can still kick ass six ways from Sunday." He said nonchalantly as he contemplated his metacarpals. Chillby barked a laugh and stood a little closer, leaning down so they were face to face.

-Alright, I've got some information about Undyne's schedule for the next week. It looks like she's going to be staying in Hotland with her crazy scientist lover for a time. Once she's done there she'll be heading back to the Capitol for a little while to train some new guardsmen. If your brother wants to set a trap the best time would be while she's away.- Sans couldn't help but grimace. All this foul plotting was going to taint his already stained soul, he just knew it.

"Thanks for the heads up Chills." He said as he shifted his weight, ready to get away from the wall and head back home. Suddenly a hand blocked his path, green and glowing faintly. Surprised he turned to look up at Chillby as he slid his glasses off his face and slipped them into his apron.

-You must have been pretty out of it with a fever if you don't even remember our arrangement. But you've ditched the last two times, you're not getting out of this that easily.- Leaning forward he caught Sans up in a kiss as he pressed the small skeleton against the back wall of the bar. When Sans tried to resist Chillby flared his magic, roasting his clothes in ice cold fire. Suddenly missing his coat and half his shirt Sans began to tremble, his mind whirling in confusion as he was shoved roughly to the ground. In his confusion he lost hold of his concentration and felt his magic rise up to oppose the attack, but the thorn stopped him. Papyrus still had complete control of his magic and had forbade him from using the Gaster Blasters. Scrambling in the snow to get away, panic seeping into his bones, he reached out for his magic and found it in shambles.

-Stop fussing, you've never been this resistant before.- Closing his eyes tight he felt a shudder of disgust rush through his body as the fear and anger he'd felt started to spill out.

 _'Papyrus!'_ His mind screamed for help, even if it came from the Tyrant. Out of nowhere the weight on top of him was gone and a loud crash reached his ears. Looking up from where he was huddled on the ground, shaking, he could see Chillby pressed against the outer wall of the bar, a large splintered mess around him as glowing red magic held him in place.

"What the **fuck** do you think you are doing to **my** property, you Pitiful Fool!" He said has he pressed down harder, making it impossible for Chillby to get any oxygen. Slowly his flame began to die down, his color fading and eyes rolling back in his head.

"Don't kill him Paps! We need him." He said, rising shakily from the ground and grabbing hold of his brother's arm.

"Shut up, you dirty little Whore!" Papyrus said, wrenching his arm out of Sans's hold as he bore down a moment longer before releasing the unconscious monster. Then his furious gaze turned to Sans. Sans felt his heart stop as hopelessness settled into his bones. Papyrus grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him back home. Sans knew he was probably never going to see the world outside the house ever again. This thought and the stress of someone that should have been an ally turning on him, was the straw that finally broke the camel's back. With a shuddered breath the damn broke and the tears he'd held back began to fall down his face uncontrollably.

*Purple*

Furious did not even begin to describe the feeling running through him. Not only had he felt Sans fighting against the magic he'd embedded in the smaller skeleton's soul he had felt a magical resonance so strong it had practically forced him to find Sans to see what was going on. And when he got there? All he could see was blood. Chillby, who was supposed to be an ally, was in the middle of trying to forcefully take his brother! He knew it was not something Sans had wanted or asked for because of the panicked look on his face. It was the panic of someone in a situation where they held no control, rather than one frightened of being caught. Monsters watched them as he dragged his brother home, whispering to themselves about his cruelty even to his own brother. He paid it no mind. His only worry was getting Sans home before something even more ridiculous happened.

A sound behind him made him stop in his tracks. Turning to look back at his brother he could see great tears falling down his face, one hand over his mouth so he wouldn't make any sound. But the gut wrenching sobs were too much for him to stifle as his body shook in terror. Panic seized Papyrus and he realized that the arm he was holding was beginning to bruise. Hurriedly he let it go. This had the unfortunate consequence of Sans crumpling into the snow, like a marionette that just had it's strings cut. Leaning forward to pick him up he heard muttering between the sobs and his heart sank.

"...s'not my fault... I'm sorry... s'not my fault... please Master..." With more care than anyone had ever seen of him before he scooped up the smaller skeleton and held him against his chest, so that their hearts were close to each other. With all the dignity of a ruler he walked back to the house. Once inside he headed up the stairs and into Sans's room. Laying his brother onto the bed he left to grab a towel and something to calm the smaller skeleton down. His brother was bruised, dirty, and in a state of shock. It was no wonder he couldn't use his teleportation or his other ability.

When he came back Papyrus pushed the door open silently and stood there, frowning in concern. Sans was leaning half out of bed and had thrown up onto the floor. It seemed as though the stress had finally broken him. Curling in on himself he continued to mutter.

"Oh god, why? Why me?" Hearing enough he stormed over to his brother, scooped him up, and left the room.

"No, no. Please B-Boss! I'm sorry!" He sobbed miserably. Papyrus entered his own room and lay his brother down on the large bed gently, huffing at him in frustration.

"And how was any of this your fault? Hmm?" Sitting on the bed he used the towel to wipe Sans's face clean and sighed.

"Sans. I know you think I'm a cruel and heartless bastard. But what I do, I do for our safety and continued survival. Our world is one where it is kill or be killed. If I continue to let you be weak then one day someone is going to take you from me. That is the last thing I want. You are mine, and I will not allow anyone else to touch you without consequence." He stated as if it were a fact.

"Maybe I should have killed Chillby after all, if this is what he has been doing! The Grand Master Papyrus will not abide those who think they can mess with the Skeleton brothers." He hissed through his teeth, aura flashing darkly as his anger resurfaced again. Beside him Sans was beginning to breathe easier as the panic and rush of adrenaline began to fade. Papyrus helped him get undressed and shifted the blankets so he was covered properly.

"Get some rest." Papyrus said with authority, though it was tinted with kindness.

It didn't take long for his brother to fall into an uneasy slumber, mumbling and frowning as he was plagued by bad dreams. The whole time he was falling asleep the taller skeleton sat on the bed, back turned, watching over him. Reaching back he ran his hand over Sans's skull, then down along the jaw. No matter what anyone else thought, he really did love his brother. It was an all encompassing obsession that plagued him day in and day out. An need to hide him away from danger and prying eyes. Even if he had to become a villain to do it.

"I will not lose you again!"


	9. Dominance

Sitting in a chair beside his bed, the book in his hands long forgotten, Papyrus contemplated what he was going to do when Sans finally awoke from his semi-coma. Using diagnostic magic he was able to tell that Sans was in a state of magical hibernation, probably due to the damage he'd received the day before. Just thinking about the incident made Papyrus's magic flare with righteous anger. Chillby had done something so unforgivable he was surprised he had listened to Sans's plea and allowed him to live. Seeing the smaller skeleton stir, his expression one of discomfort, he allowed his rage to fade as he took deep, calming, breaths.

Slowly he was coming to realize that this Sans could never become his brother. That he had tried to make it so was foolish of him. But at the time he had been desperate. The one thing he lived for had been taken from him in the night and supplanted with a replica. Anyone would be furious to have their only love stolen from them, and a cheap replacement left in their place.

"You will probably never understand. Even if you could hear me, there is no way someone as soft as you could fathom the intensity of my feelings." With a sigh he stood, checked on Sans one more time, then left the room. Closing the door quietly he stood in the hall a moment, glaring at the floor and crossing his arms. Shaking his head to clear it a little he wandered down the stairs and into the back room, where his map of the underground was located.

Touching the three-dimensional pieces he remembered a time when Sans, his Sans, had woken him in the early morning. Though he had suffered through harsh criticism he insisted that Papyrus wake and come downstairs. Seeing as how his brother was taking the initiative for once he had complied, mostly out of curiosity. What he found was a huge map of the underground, painstakingly hand-drawn, and three-dimensional buildings sitting on top, where they should be. Taking a closer look he even found small tokens with images of every monster in the Underground, placed where they could usually be found during the day. There were few exceptions, those being small chess pieces carved to look like Papyrus and other prominent figures. Turning to look at his brother in surprise and awe he felt his heart thud heavily in his chest from the wide grin the smaller skeleton was giving him.

 _'Happy Birthday Boss!'_ Closing his eyes he let the memory fade. It was one of the only times he had ever given Sans praise. At least, to his face. Everyone knew how he felt about his brother to some extent. They just knew to keep their mouths shut and mind their own fucking business. Often he would speak of his brother's accomplishments to those he viewed as subordinates, and how if he ever got serious the underground would tremble in terror. But truth be told Sans was just too caring for his own good. No matter how cruel he became, no matter how many times he tricked or betrayed his brother, Sans would always trust him. It made him feel disgusted with himself at times. But he endured it all in stoic silence; as was fitting for a future ruler.

"Clinging desperately to a dream is so unlike me..." Picking up the piece shaped like himself he felt his resolve flare as he placed it inside the wooden Palace. If he were in charge then everything would change. He would be able to ensure that his brother was safe, happy, hidden away in the beautiful gardens he had seen there behind the large walls and rows of guards. Papyrus had only been to the palace once in his life, when he had been inducted into the Guards and sworn fealty to the King. A promise he had no intention of keeping.

Oh how he would love to rule the underground, crowning Sans as Prince and taking him as his only Consort. There he would feel safe enough to cherish Sans, like he deserved. Shower him with affection and gifts. Away from prying eyes and scheming minds.

Looking over the map he spied Chillby's Bar and growled low in his throat. How dare that disreputable, sniveling, swine, even think of touching his brother? If this was the first time this had happened he would leave the monster with just a warning. But if this had happened before he was going to kill the flaming bastard in the most agonizing fashion available.

Sweeping out of the room he grabbed his red cloak and donned it before rushing out of the house, like a bat from hell. It was only a short walk to the bar but any monster he passed moved clear out of the way, curious at what could have made the tyrannical guardsman so furious. When his anger was not aimed at them the monsters of the underground usually found what he was doing to somehow be absolutely fascinating. He had a strange kind of charisma in the way he spoke and behaved, like an uncrowned King. It was how he had attracted so many subordinates in such a short time.

Stopping in front of the door to the bar he aimed a well placed kick and knocked the door right off it's hinges. Stepping inside he compressed his magic until it was a visible aura around him, sharp and foreboding. Something no normal monster was capable of. The aura of intimidation surrounding him made those inside the bar, no matter how drunk, shrink away from him in utter terror. Trembling in booths and ducking beneath tables to keep out of sight, and out of mind. Behind the bar stood Chillby, motionless, as his eyes followed Papyrus's every move.

Grinning at the flaming monster he crossed the floor as if he was out on a leisurely stroll and stopped when he reached the bar. Leaning on the wood, so he was at the same height as the other monster, he reached out a gloved hand and grasped the front of Chillby's collar. Jerking him off of his feet he hurled the flaming monster over his shoulder in one fell swoop. As the he fell onto the ground Papyrus glared down at him regally before taking a seat on one of the stools. Chillby cringed as he grabbed his broken glasses from the floor, glancing around to see if anyone would come to his aid. Crossing one leg over the other the skeleton interlocked his fingers in his lap as more monsters gathered outside. Papyrus didn't mind their presence. In fact he was quite glad to have such a large audience. He wanted to ensure that no one would ever try to take advantage of his brother's weakness again.

"You've crossed me one too many times, Chillby. I've been lenient so far, considering I thought you an ally of my brother's and a good source of information. However... your recent actions have trampled over what little good will you had built up. Our alliance is hereby terminated. Now is the time to start begging for your miserable life." Chillby, doing the sensible thing, kept quiet and didn't get up from the ground. After a snort of derision Papyrus stood up from the stool and crossed the floor, ready to leave.

-You know... up until now, he liked the attention.- Papyrus stopped, hearing the other male's voice, and turned to glare balefully down at the bar owner as he slowly got up from the floor.

-Obviously you didn't care enough about him to give him the affection he sorely needed. Why do you think he always came running to me after dealing with your bullshit? It was my touch he begged for, not yours.- For a moment no one spoke. No one moved. No one even dared to breathe in that space. Before anyone could even blink Chillby found himself violently thrown through the glass window of the bar and out into the cold snow. Not even a moment later the wall exploded outward as Papyrus launched simultaneous bone attacks at it, making a hole big enough for him to walk through easily. Motioning at Chillby with his hand the monster's heart suddenly began to glow blue as his ability to move was taken from him. Dragging the fiery monster behind him in the cold snow he could hear the sizzle of flames dying and the hissing of pain. Stopping in front of the river he reached down and gripped Chillby by the throat. Lifting him over the water he held tight as monsters gathered around at a safe distance.

Curious he sent a jolt of magic through the monster, looking through his memories for his brother. What he saw there made him more than murderous. Chillby was right. His brother had come to realize that the monster behind the bar had a soft spot for him and would often exchange sexual favors for information. Papyrus wished he could say Chillby was forcing his brother but he knew that wasn't the truth. The tyrannical skeleton might have been a cruel, sadistic, bastard; but he was no fool. He would not turn a blind eye to the truth while it stared him in the face.

"I could **end** you." His magic flared again; confidence, power, and fury melding together to create a visage of sheer dread.

-P-please... sp-spare me. I'll work exclu-clusively for you, I s-swear. - Standing there with Chillby held above the river, an absolutely excruciating way for the fire monster to die, he stared deep into the other monster's eyes, purple magic flaring. Seconds melted into minutes before he finally made his decision. Tossing the monster to the ground in front of all the others he kicked the fallen bartender in the midsection, flipping him onto his back before stepping on his throat and glaring at the crowd.

"Let this be a lesson to you all. No one, absolutely no one, fucks with the Skeleton brothers. Especially Sans! If I ever catch you even looking at my brother again I will hunt you down and kill you like the worthless piece of shit you are." Pressing down on Chillby's neck to make his point he watched the gathered monsters as they stared in horrified silence. Stepping away from the downed monster, whose health was now only a few hp from death, he fixed his cape and turned, shoulders squared and head held high. Without even glancing at the other monsters, treating them as if they were beneath him, he walked toward the edge of the crowd. Monsters parted before him, scrambling to get out of his way, as he headed back toward his home.

Word would spread quickly and he needed to come up with a good plan if Undyne decided to come home early from her vacation to investigate the recent happenings in Snowdin. Once he was back inside the house he locked the door and hung up his cape. Feeling somewhat accomplished he walked back up the stairs and checked on Sans. Like before he was still sleeping, though he seemed to be a little less distressed. Giving him a small smile, the closest he could come to the warmth he knew Sans deserved, he stroked the smaller skeleton's head gently.

"No matter what happens I will protect you."

* * *

Note:  
This chapter is shorter than the others, since I felt that it would do a lot better as a stand alone. But, I've already started on the next chapter so no worries.

My laptop has been bugging out ever since I let that tech guy check it out. He pulled the battery while it was still on and now my Windows Apps won't work, as well as the internet. I'm surprised FF still works but most of my other frequent websites just refuse to load. :/  
I swear if he hooped my laptop I'm gonna be just as pissed as Paps.

I know. I'm terribly evil for making you sympathize and root for Purple. But it had to be done.


	10. Whispers

*Blue*

Floating in that formless space somewhere between awake and dreaming he opened his eyes to the darkness and sighed in relief. Here there was no pain, no suffering, only an endless sea of serenity. Staring down at himself he knew that he was in a pretty bad way. Only monsters close to the point of breaking down from soul-crushing hopelessness ended up in that void between the living and the dead. But Sans had been there before. He knew that sooner or later he was going to have to face his pain if he wanted to get out of that place and make it back to Papyrus.

The thought of his brother made his body itch to get up and run, run as fast and as far as he was able, until he could find a way to ditch the tyrant holding him hostage. Though staying in the void would be good for his soul and his health he wasn't sure how long he could stay that way until the purple bastard found a way to forcibly wake him up and enact more tortures. For the time being he supposed he should just cherish the time he had to himself and the lack of worries.

Time didn't seem to pass in that place between the world of dreams and reality, though he felt that it hadn't been long since he'd fallen into that state. Trying his best not to think too much he embraced the warmth that somehow permeated the void and floated along. Slowly his body began to feel whole again, much to his relief. Though he was certain his mind would be in tatters when he finally returned. It would take time for him to get back to where he'd been with the two, separate, sets of memories. By now the tyrant Papyrus was probably scoffing at his weakness, even if that weakness had been his doing. If Sans had been given full command over his magic he could have easily made Chillby back off. Throbbing in his soul made him wince slightly. Remembering what had happened before he passed was painful in a way that dimmed his soul.

Something outside of the space brushed against him, rough yet comforting. Shivering as strong, raw, emotion swept over him Sans couldn't help but wonder what was happening while he slept. Would he wake to find himself strapped back in a chair, waiting for the torture to begin anew?

Holding himself together as best he could he turned inward. There was no way he could view the memories in an order of his choosing so he had to grit his teeth and experience everything as it had happened. Luckily the void was dark and soothing, making it hard for one to become too stressed or excited. Watching the memories with a critical eye he was able to come to terms with what had just happened. It was a long, slow, process but he knew that he could not stay trapped in this purgatory for too long. Papyrus was probably worried sick about him back home, though a portion of his mind feared he'd been given up for lost. Grudgingly he had to admit that the red version of himself was a far better match for Papyrus. He was just as loyal as Sans but worked far harder for Papyrus's approval. The only downfall he could see being that Red was just as messed up as his brother. He could see from the memories forced into his head that the red version was just as into incest as his tyrant brother. Or at least, that was the way the memories had been spun. There was no real way to verify if they were real or if they were delusions created by Purpyrus.

Remembering his name for the purple tyrant he snickered to himself, his soul a little lighter for the thought.

Sensing that his body was about as healed as it was going to be, him being a 1hp monster and all, he turned to his inner thoughts memories. It took less effort than he thought to sort them back to where they were before his little breakdown but he chalked that up to how long he'd had to practice organizing the different personas he'd created for himself.

Over time he started to feel as though the void of blackness surrounding him was no longer safe. Time might not move for him in the void but Sans was getting antsy. It had to be more than a day since he'd passed out in Papyrus's bed. Looking deep into himself he made sure that he was fully healed and that his mind was as intact as he could make it before he closed his eyes and allowed himself to come back to the real world.

*Purple*

Sitting in his favourite reading chair next to his bed the self proclaimed Grand Master sighed. Eyes trained on the still form, his shoulders drooping in dismay, he wondered just how long Sans was going to stay unconscious. There was no way he could ask someone for help, not that anyone would even if he did threaten them. Anyone who knew healing magic used it for themselves and maybe for a family member they favored or an ally they needed kept alive. In this world of ruthlessness and depravity there was no one the Skeleton brothers could lean on. At least, no one that wouldn't want to take far more than they gave or use their weakness against them. Once they had someone who could have been considered a stalwart companion, if not a paternal figure. But something had happened to him so many years ago that his memory of the monster were fuzzy. He couldn't even recall the monster's face, let alone his name. All he could remember was a soft, intelligent, voice that had guided them from the time they were very small. He'd never been sure if the monster actually was their father, or if they were even brothers, but Sans never questioned it so he didn't bring it up.

It was only after their father vanished that things got really bad. Apparently few had known of their existence and as the sons, by blood or otherwise, of the most powerful monster in the underground they had been kept safe from the harshness of their world. Even Asgore had feared their father and left him to his magical experiments. Oh how things had changed.

They had been chased down and beaten by Asgore's guards. Alone and driven from the capitol he had protected his smaller brother as best he could, all while trying to avoid anyone that looked remotely like they would harm them. He learned quickly it was the friendly seeming ones he had to watch out for.

Eventually they made their way to Snowdin and broke into an unoccupied house for their sleep cycle. When he woke there were monsters combing the house, whispering nasty things to each other about what they would do to the kids when they were found. Scared for his life and the life of his brother he tried to hide Sans as best he could. Whimpering and still confused from an injury to his skull Sans caught the attention of the monsters and they were quickly taken captive.

The things they said they were going to do to them filled him with rage. A rage that only burned fiercer and darker as they dragged his brother out from his hiding place and pressed his face into the ground, leering at them. Shuddering at the memory he felt his magic stirring in response, an echo of the disgust and revulsion he'd felt back then.

Silence fell when, after one monster made a suggestive grab at Sans, the monster holding his brother collapsed to the floor dead. Sticking out of his chest was a jagged white bone, formed by magic, that disappeared just as soon as it had appeared. For a moment no-one moved in that space, as if moving would break some sort of spell. Turning to the brothers in a rage the monsters hefted their own weapons, but it was too late. Papyrus had broken through the barrier between himself and his magic. Nothing could stop him from using his powers now. Like the breaking of a dam the magic flowed from him like an extension of his will, killing everyone that had dared to threaten them.

When it was over he'd raced to his brother and checked to see if he was alright. At first he hesitated, worried that the dust staining his bones would repulse and scare Sans. But the fear of rejection was quickly swept away as his brother leapt into his arms, crying and thanking him for protecting them. Seeing his brother so broken, hurt, and sad awoke something inside of him. A fierce protectiveness that he had even to this day.

Rather than the protectiveness dimming with age it had only morphed as they grew older. Twisted by the cruel acts he had to perform in order to protect them both. At first he'd assumed his protectiveness was the reason he disliked seeing Sans around other monsters, knowing that a smiling face and kind word weren't always what they seemed to be on the surface. But as they grew older he began to realize the aching in his soul whenever Sans was with someone else had taken on a different feeling entirely from his protective nature.

The first time he'd caught Sans pleasuring himself in his room when he thought Papyrus was out learning to be a Guard had been the final straw. The match thrown on a pile of dry sticks already covered in flammable material. A shudder ran through his body at the treasured memory. One he would often reminisce over when Sans was off working.

Looking over his entwined fingers he saw Sans begin to stir and perked up immediately. Slowly, as if it pained him, Sans opened his eyes and groaned at the stiffness in his bones. Turning he spied Papyrus staring at him and stopped, eyes wide and body still, as if he expected something to set Papyrus off.

Licking the back of his teeth as he pondered how to break the now awkward silence he finally sighed and let his body relax into the chair, giving off an aura of inaction and peace.

"I am glad you have finally decided to rejoin the world of the living. It has been three days." Startled, possibly at how long he'd been asleep, Sans turned to stare at the wall ahead of him quietly.

"Well then. I am sure you are in need of some nourishment." Stated Papyrus as he slapped his hands on the armrest of the chair and stood, prompting Sans to flinch and turn to look at him so fast his neck cracked. Wincing slightly at the sound Papyrus walked to the door, trying to keep his voice light and filled with levity.

"Don't get up from the bed until after you've eaten, you won't have much strength yet. I'll return in a moment." Leaving the room with the door open he hopped over the railing and landed in front of the kitchen. It didn't take him long to heat up some soup he'd made earlier and put together a tray. Walking back up the stairs he felt Sans pushing against the magic still embedded in his soul and cringed internally. That was something he was going to have to discuss with the other monster as soon as he was a little less disoriented.

"Do not make a mess, this is my room after all." Cusing inwardly as his inability to say anything nicely he set the tray on Sans's lap and sat in the chair again, picking up a book so he wouldn't stare while Sans ate. For a time he heard nothing, no movement and no sound. But after a while he could heard the spoon being dipped into the bowl and he began to relax. The book he was reading really was fascinating after all so he had no problem falling into it.

"M-master?" Spoken just above a whisper the word caught his attention and he turned to look at the other skeleton with a sigh.

"You need not call me that any longer Sans. Nor do you need to call me Boss. It is painfully clear to me now that you are not my brother." The soft way it was spoken made Sans look skeptical, as if he were expecting a trap. Smart monster.

"So what? Is this some sort of test? Or have you just gotten bored of me?" The rage building in the smaller monster made Papyrus freeze. It was a good thing he'd decided to talk with Sans before he undid the magic holding his soul. Holding up his hands in a placating manner, one he'd seen other monsters use, he hoped to stall any outbursts until he was finished speaking.

"No, neither. I have only come to realize that I have gone about this in entirely the wrong way. No matter what I say or do it will not change the fact that you are not my Sans, and I needed time to cope with that. This world is not an easy one, nor is it a nice one. The closest a monster here can come to saying thank you or apologizing it to promise an alliance or a truce. The closest we come to love is raw lust. Anger, hatred, and suspicion are forefront in the minds of everyone here, not just myself. It has been a long time since I have felt fear, guilt, and anguish; let alone accepted them as emotions I could still feel." Sans stared at him, angry but listening.

"So you took out all your anger and hatred out on me. Gee, Thanks." The sarcastic way he spoke made Papyrus grip the chair beneath him.

"I figured you would not be able to understand. The world you come from is far more bright and hopeful than ours, where it is safest in the darkness. I want to make up for how I have treated you, make amends." Shrugging his shoulders he looked away from Sans, showing that he trusted the other's self control. If Sans attacked him now he would not retaliate with magic but by pinning him to the ground, something defensive but still proving his power.

"You want me to forgive you? After all you've done to not only me but to your brother?" Papyrus let some of his inner inner turmoil show on his face. If anyone else had seen the emotions he was now letting Sans see it would have undermined everything he'd been working toward. But this Sans was not his Sans and was far more intelligent.

"If you swear not to use your powers against me I will take my magic from around your soul." Speaking evenly Papyrus turned back to Sans with an earnest expression. Sans contemplated his words carefully, knowing that this Papyrus was far stronger than his brother. Eventually he nodded.

"Fine, I won't attack you." Papyrus had explained enough about the underground and how it worked to him that Papyrus was sure he knew there was no gaining outside help. If Sans looked even a little weaker than another monster they would tear him to shreds. Luckily this one was more alike to himself than to Red.

Reaching out his hand he called the power back from Sans's soul, the tendrils slowly receding into the spike and the spike dissolving into a thin line of magic as it returned to it's master.

"What are you going to do now?" Sans asked him, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I am going to tell you my plan, and hopefully you will listen until the end."

*Black*

Watching the yellow scientist, Alphys her name was, work on the machine that would break a hole between worlds he frowned. Floating in the space between meant it took a lot of energy to interact within a fully established dimension. Even the one where he had originated, in a manner of speaking. Skimming along her conscious thoughts he understood what she was trying to accomplish but her methods were all wrong. It was possible to traverse the worlds and in some dimensions he had met others who had the ability to shift from one to another, though he would prefer to avoid them since most were not in their right minds. If she could figure out that one had to displace something in order to pass through without damaging the very fabric of multiple realities it would be fine. Either that or she'd have to create a machine that could copy Sans's abilities, power them further, and then use it to slide through the cracks without disturbing what was already in place. In any case so far her project was very destructive in nature and could not be left alone. Unfortunately no matter what he had tried she was far too focused and flighty in personality for him to use her.

Concentrating on the web of life-force that connected all monsters, an ability he had gained as the entity guarding the Mirrorverse, he found the Sans that did not belong and focused in on him. It seemed he had fallen asleep on the couch at the shared home of Sans and Papyrus. Keeping his emotions in check he appeared beside the sleeping skeleton and placed a hand above his prone form. The magic he was about to perform would drain him quite a bit, but this was important.

Watching the red souled skeleton squirm and frown under his hand he tried to soothe him as best he could. This wouldn't work if Sans rejected the suggestion. He wanted to ignite the passion and jealousy inside of the smaller skeleton in order to incite a rebellion. To sabotage the machine Alphys was creating and maybe, if the suggestion worked well enough, make it seem like the machine would never work. Hopefully Alphys would then turn to a new theory and by that time Sans would have been discovered. He knew that the displaces Sans had spoken with his counterpart, and they they both knew only one Sans could exist in a verse at one time without repercussions.

Though he wanted both of these pseudo-sons of his to be happy he had responsibilities above and beyond whatever care he had once held for them. No longer was he a doting father or a scientist.

Taking his hand away, confident that he had implanted the suggestion correctly, he backed away from the prone form and turned, only to stop in as he spied Papyrus staring right at him. He knew the taller skeleton was looking at him since Sans was laying on the couch, and the glowing orange eyes were boring into his own dark orbs. For a moment they stood there, silent, as the very air around them seemed to freeze. But a moment later Papyrus blinked, his eyes returning to normal, and he rubbed at his sockets as if unsure. This time when he looked up it was through him, as if he wasn't even there.

 _'Sans wasn't my only clever son.'_ Mumbled the part of himself that still felt like a proud father. Shaking away the thought he watched papyrus pick up Sans and carry him off to his bedroom. Having nothing more to do in that verse he quickly fled to the comforting darkness.


	11. Planning

*Red*  
Staring down at the wires in his hands, not knowing exactly what he had been doing, the red souled skeleton blinked before smirking in satisfaction. Replacing all the wires in the wrong order he glanced around the darkened laboratory before slipping through the void and ending up back home in his bed. Grinning at the ceiling at his successful sabotage he rolled over and looked at the wall that separated him and Papyrus. A small twinge of guilt laced through the feeling of success and he started to bite the end of his phalanges. What if Papyrus found out that he had been sabotaging the machine that would get his brother back? He knew the taller skeleton wouldn't hurt him, Papyrus couldn't hurt anyone. But would he be angry enough to abandon his new brother? No. He couldn't possibly. He'd put way too much effort into making Sans comfortable and feel accepted. But what if...

These thoughts spiraled around and around his mind, like a snake monster eating it's own tail. Triumph, guilt, excitement. Triumph, guilt, excitement. Eventually he exhausted himself and fell into a deep sleep. When he finally opened his eyes again he was there, in that place. The one with the Mirror. The one where he was sure to meet with the other Sans.

Ready to gloat he was surprised when he was met with his own reflection in that empty space. Blinking he reached out his hand the same time the other did but he stopped before touching the mirror and grinned at the other Sans.

"I might not have any fancy Science background, but I sure as hell ain't gullible. What do you take me for, a chump?" The other Sans dropped his arm and shrugged, looking better than he had the last time they'd met. In fact he didn't seem remotely as angry as before, like he wasn't desperately trying to run away; like he had accepted his new place.

"What's up with you?" He asked angrily, confused at this sudden turn of events. The other Sans just smiled at him, looking smug in his opinion.

"Oh nothing really. Papyrus and I have just come to an agreement. I proved my worth by resisting his magic and coming up with good strategies to further his goal. Dare I say; I proved myself more than you ever did." These words cut deep, just as deep as his own comments to Sans the last time they'd met. Flinching he clenched his fists and again decided that this jerk deserved whatever was coming to him.

"Papyrus doesn't seem all that upset you're gone. It seems like he's a lot more happy with someone who works hard both at his jobs and at home. He cooks for us every night and comments on how I'm such a good brother." Thinking he'd one upped the other Sans he puffed out his chest, feeling good about himself.

"Just a word of warning. Since I wouldn't want you to feel out of place when you go back to your own world. There's going to be a new change in leadership here, and it'll be me and The Great Papyrus who are going to enact that change. So relax while you can. Because I'm sure that as soon as Papyrus is King he's going to make taking you back his top priority." A shiver ran down his spine at the lack of aggressive tone in Sans' voice. He didn't blink, he didn't grin, he didn't look away. There was no indication that this was a jab meant to affect him.

Before he could reply he felt something cold and smooth against his ulna. Looking down, startled, he spied a long black tendril that wound it's way upward and he screamed. Not a girly scream, more like a shriek of fright. As the panic began to rise he struggled as more black tendrils clung to his body, drawing him away from the mirror. Before he could open his mouth to shout again he was enveloped in blackness and knew no more.

*Orange*  
Things had seemed strange the past few days. Papyrus knew that Sans was keeping something from him, since the red skeleton was even easier to read than his brother. But for the soul of him he couldn't understand just what it was. Some days he'd act happy and giddy, then, mere moments afterward, he would droop and fidget, biting his phalanges and looking paranoid as if he was guilty of something. Papyrus knew of no wrong doing so he had to assume it was just another thing the other Papyrus had done to him and that Sans needed to work out himself. Sure, he was helping Sans be more confident in himself and feel more loved, but there were probably other things beneath the surface he couldn't help with. Sans' apparent lust for his brother being one of them.

Papyrus was viewed by many to be a bit of an airhead and a little awkward in his exuberance. But Sans knew quite well that there was more under the surface. A heart so caring he'd deny himself anything if it meant another could live happily, a mind so filled with dreams he sometimes forgot to look where he was going, and a soul so gentle he refused to hurt another living thing. But that didn't mean he was completely useless. His magic was sensitive to changes in the very flow of the air around them. Honed so that he would never accidentally harm his brother, no matter what situation arose. One didn't hone their talent that hard and that long without seeing some other improvements as well.

Invisibility, intangibility, phantoms, and illusions never worked on him. He could see right past them and into the very magic surrounding a monster, the magic that made up their soul. Papyrus would never use this knowledge to hurt anyone though, since he wanted everyone to be happy. Instead he used it to direct attacks and aid his brother.

The one thing he couldn't see was Sans' strange ability to warp in and out of places. Usually a monster's abilities left a trail but Sans' ability didn't leave a single trace, as if it had never existed in the first place. This made it hard to judge whether Sans was doing too much or whether he had been doing anything at all. It was frustrating. But lately he thought he could see something trailing after the red Sans. Magic that seemed completely inverted to the very fabric of their world. So foreign and alien he wasn't sure he was even seeing anything. The more he focused on it though the more clear it grew. Like strings attached to a puppet it clung to Sans and dragged on the ground. Pooling like molten metal, only pitch black and made of nothing.

This made him concerned for the little skeleton and wonder just what had happened to him, since Papyrus had never seen that strange black magic before. A brief flash of a dark figure looming over Sans while he slept filtered through his consciousness but after a moment he brushed it off. It had probably been his imagination.

At the moment Sans was in his room, the black magic present even while he lay on his bed and slept. Closing the door Papyrus looked torn between wanting to wake Sans and wanting to run out the door. He wasn't an expert on this sort of thing, but he knew someone who was. Or at least, as close as it gets.

Leaving the house quietly he headed down to the ferry and on into Hotland.

*Blue*  
Waking from the shared dream with his other self he blinked and was only mildly surprised when he spied Papyrus watching him. It seemed the days of being kicked out of bed where over. Instead the taller skeleton looked mildly irritated and had his arms crossed over his ribs.

"I couldn't wake you." Was all he said, sounding angry. By now Sans was beginning to see a pattern in his reactions. Now that he wasn't clouded by the thorn interfering with his magic. Whenever Papyrus was concerned he acted cold, aloof, and yet had a tendency to stay closer. He used cruel words in place of affectionate pet names or praise, and when he was truly angry he would go perfectly quiet and still. As if calculating the best way to hurt someone so they would never cross him again.

"Sorry. I told you about the mirror thing..." Papyrus nodded. The past two days they had done practically nothing but talk about all the details of how Sans ended up there and what Papyrus's plans for the Underground were. Sans tried to keep himself unbiased, pushing back some of his fear and worry so that he could work with this version of Papyrus without breaking down again. He had come to the conclusion that it was hard for the both of them. Papyrus was used to being in control and having no one to lean on in order to remain strong for his brother. Now that Sans had been filled in on this world's events he could understand, in a way, why the underground had turned out this way.

It was all Asgore's fault.

Instead of the peace loving, yet bumbling, king from his world this Asgore ruled with an iron fist. He was cunning, manipulative, and sadistic. Even though Papyrus wouldn't admit it Sans could tell he was scared to go up against the King. He needed Sans' power in order to get rid of the King indirectly, otherwise he was terrified he'd fail and doom the underground for good.

"Come, we have more to discuss." That said the taller skeleton turned on his heel and swept out of the room like a poised wraith. Scratching at his skull Sans sighed and slid out of bed, quickly grabbing his slippers and jacket. Heading downstairs he tugged at the black fabric and frowned. Papyrus had done a lot in trying to bridge the gap between them, although both of them knew he could never fully make up for what he had done. Unfortunately getting his hoodie back was impossible, since it had been burned to ash before his eyes.

Down in the back room he could see Papyrus leaning over the table, shifting monster tokens around. Coming up to another side of the large 3-D model he looked down at the placement of the monsters and frowned.

"I thought you wanted to do this quietly?" He asked, reviewing everything he'd been told the night before.

"I do. But Undyne is loyal to Asgore, some sort of life debt or magical link I believe. With the amount of power she wields I will have to draw her away from the castle long enough to enact my plan. Of course she will also have the deranged Scientist to help her. It is no secret that they are lovers. Especially since her creation likes to run off his mouth, when he isn't doing her bidding." Noticing the placement of the pieces Sans moved a couple to flank Undyne, though his viewpoint wasn't as good.

Mumbling under his breath Papyrus walked over and peered down at the pieces. Since Sans couldn't reach them all he'd used his power to move them into place. Focused on his task Papyrus stood behind Sans so he could see the strategy the smaller skeleton was trying to employ. Shaking his head he stepped forward and reached over Sans in order to move a couple of pieces around. Because he had to lean over to reach Papyrus pressed against Sans' back, pinning him against the table.

Sans froze. Heat rose to his cheeks and he shivered. He could feel the other's soul against his ribs and it made his own flare up as memories of their more intimate moments flooded his mind. Fighting the urge to teleport away he kept his eyes on the model and his mind on the mission.

'Just because he won't try to hurt or control you anymore doesn't make him any less a bastard.' He told himself firmly. Though his body didn't seem to care what he thought.

*Purple*  
Once he was finished changing the placement of different monsters who were either loyal to him, hated Asgore enough to work with him, or were just terrified enough to obey, Papyrus realized that he had accidentally trapped Sans between himself and the table. For a moment his mind seemed to stall. Any other time he would have capitalized on this, but now he was unsure what he should or shouldn't do around the smaller skeleton. He was going to be a great asset to his plan and if they pulled it off he would be able to order research done on this 'mirror' place that had stolen his brother and replaced him with an alternate.

Glancing down at Sans from his position he felt a twinge of worry. Tall and slender as he was he still cloaked himself in an aura of regality and terror. It was a habit to loom over others and then take advantage of their reaction to him. But this, this was not the reaction he had expected. He figured since Sans was free of his control now there would be nothing but resentment and a rocky alliance at best. Yet the smaller skeleton was telegraphing his emotions quite plainly, and they were not negative.

The small blush on his face and the way he tried to focus on the model even while his own soul resonated and echoed with need; it was far too cute. Taking a half step back he gently brushed against Sans tailbone, trailing one hand up his arm as if by mistake. The smaller skeleton began to shiver and held his arms close to his chest, like he was trying to stop himself. Frowning he reached down and gently turned Sans around. He wouldn't meet his eye.

"Why do you try to deny your desires?" He asked, at once intrigued and confused. In his world you took what you wanted and, with the exception of those who were of the cunning kind, most monsters had their desires on their sleeves. Openly greedy, violent, lustful; none of it was taboo. With it being so normal to go after what you wanted there weren't many monsters who denied themselves.

"..." Sans opened and closed his jaw like a fish. It was clear he was either too conflicted to explain or didn't know how to explain it himself. With alow movements Papyrus placed his hands on either side of Sans and stared down at him, his intent clear in the aura that now swirled between them. If Sans wished to he could teleport away, or even just ask Papyrus to stop. He had sworn to Sans that he wouldn't hurt him again and he meant it. But sans didn't move.

Raising one hand he grasped Sans' chin and tilted his head up slightly. The kiss was gentle, sweet, everything that he couldn't give to his own brother and had desperately tried to hide from the one monster he cared deeply about. It left the smaller monster panting, dazed, and looking very confused. With a chuckle, and a twinge of loss, he let Sans go and walked to another part of the model, adjusting positions and planning out more strategies in case the first failed. From the corner of his eye he watched Sans stunned and, dare he say, disappointed look.

'Perhaps this new alliance will be more fruitful and enjoyable than I first thought.' Being able to finally show the gentleness that was hidden deep within his soul felt good. Almost like coming up for air when drowning. But he knew it would be a long time before Sans began to trust him, and he would have to be honest and sincere in their interactions.

'I will get what I want, one way or another.'

*Hey guys~*  
I know I haven't posted a new chapter in a while. Sorry about that. I was having some trouble irl and then summer came. With a bunch of birthdays this month, mine and my Fiance's included.  
I cannot write when it's hot out. My body just hates the heat. All creativity flies out the window and it's just blah.

On a side note. I really appreciate the work my Betas have been doing but unfortunately most of them live in different Time Zones than I do, and our schedules aren't all that compatible. If anyone wants to Beta and is in Pacific Time, that would be very helpful. Please send me your Skype name in a Message.


	12. Good End Part 1

*There are going to be Multiple Endings to this story.  
This is the Good Ending.

Guh, my fingers hurt so much now. That was a lot of words suddenly.  
Part 2 of "The End 1" will be written and posted when my fingers feel like they won't fall off. I would have jammed it all in here but it is just too much. Q_Q*

*Red*  
His world had turned black, like all the light in existence had been swallowed up and left him with nothing. He thrashed about in the blackness, feeling heavy and hot as something slithered over his bones. Even with his eye aglow he couldn't see anything in that vastness of space. Wait. Was that something moving toward him? A piece of the darkness slowly moved it's way up his chest, past his ribcage, and up toward his skull. Desperately Sans tried to pull away, but something was wrapping around him tightly, keeping him in place. A glistening tendril came out of the dark, now only visible in the faint light from his glowing eye. Panicked he tried to scream but the tendril seemed to have been waiting for just that moment. Quickly it jammed itself between his open jaws, muffling any sound he could have made, as it wormed its way inside his skull.

Waking with a start he glanced around the room, heart racing in his chest and skull pounding like someone had used it as a drum for hours. The bed was drenched with sweat and his eye was aglow. But there was no sign of any black tendrils and everything seemed to be exactly as he left it.

"It was just a nightmare. A fucking nightmare." Taking a shuddering breath he slipped out of bed and headed downstairs, pulling on his sneakers as quietly as he could. Going out into the night air he shoved his hands into his shorts pockets and headed toward Grillbys. He knew that the flaming monster's bar would still be open at that time and Papyrus was probably asleep in bed by now. Kicking random bits of snow that he passed along the way he felt the night air against his bones but didn't feel the cold. In fact he felt as if he was getting warmer.

Entering the bar he walked right up to the bar and climbed onto one of the stools. Grillby gave him a slightly raised eyebrow but said nothing as Sans tapped the bar. Grillby knew what he wanted to order.

After about six drinks he placed the money on the bar and slid off the stool to the ground. His body that had felt so hot before was now a hazy numbness and his mind was swimming with pain. Trying to take a step toward the door he suddenly collapsed in a heap, groaning. From behind the bar Grillby dashed out and tried to see if he was okay, but Sans wasn't responding to anything he said.

"Grillby, I will see to my brother." A stern voice said from above him. Tilting his head up he saw the form of a tall skeleton, arms folded across his ribs and a stern, disapproving look, being aimed down at him. His breath hitched in his throat and if it wasn't for the lack of cursing and aura of fear he might have confused this papyrus with his own brother.

"Papyrus?" He asked, as he tried to rise from the ground, holding his head with the other. Why did it feel like someone was tap-dancing inside his skull?

"We have a lot to talk about when you are sober." Was all he said as he lifted Sans into the air and up over his shoulder. Since he had never heard this Papyrus sound so quietly angry before he felt a shiver of fear run through him. Why was papyrus angry with him?

*Orange*  
"Is this information accurate?" He asked the small scientist, his eyes on the monitor. The glow from the screen illuminating his skull in a way that seemed to cast shadows along his bones, making him look almost menacing. Alphys could only nod, fidgeting with her hands and looking defeated. It was her job to keep an eye on everything and to come up with new theories. So far she had failed every task and it was weighing heavily on her soul.

"I understand. We'll have to talk later." Was all he said as he let himself out of the lab. Closing his eyes he used his senses to try and check on how Sans was doing, since the smaller skeleton had been looking sick lately. Especially with that strange black magic clinging to him. Was it something to do with the switch? Or was it to do with Sans and his teleportation? Papyrus had no clue, he wasn't very good with the whole theorizing thing. He only knew what he could see and what he could see wasn't very good.

Taking the ferry back to Snowdin as quickly as he could he was walking home when he noticed a trail of black nothingness and stopped dead in his tracks. Knowing what the trail meant he followed it all the way to Grillby's and clenched his fists. How Sans could be this irresponsible he had no idea. Chalking it up to the fucked up like he had before he came to this world he walked inside and spotted Grillby trying to help an inebriated Sans off the floor. Taking charge he lifted Sans and left the building, leaving the Flaming monster looking very confused and concerned. Rarely had they ever seen Papyrus with an expression like that.

As soon as he was home he walked upstairs into the bathroom and slid Sans off his shoulder. Turning on the cold water he sprayed Sans, instantly waking him.

"Woah, what was' tha fer?" Was the slurred response. Huffing in annoyance Papyrus placed a hand on Sans' skull, healing the dull ache and purging his body of the mustard he had been drinking earlier. Now completely awake and coherent he stared, wide eyed, as Papyrus frowned down at him.

"Uh... sorry?" He looked sheepish, like he knew he'd been drinking too much and expected a lecture. But Papyrus was in no mood for playing around.

"Sans. I was at the Laboratory today. Did you know that Alphys frequently keeps Video Surveillance of her home?" These words were spoken with a faux light tone. Desperately he tried to keep calm, in order to not do anything that he would regret. But the fact that Sans had been sabotaging the project for so long could not be ignored. His selfishness needed to be stopped, to be corrected. There could be no secrets between brothers.

"Fuck." Came the low curse from the small skeleton.

"Why would you do this? Why compromise everything we've been working for? So you could have a monopoly? There is room enough here for Both of you. You don't need to feel-" Before he could finish Sans stood up from the bath tub and grabbed onto his shirt, his eyes filled with guilt, hurt, and desperation.

"There can be only one Sans!" He yelled, before letting go and bolting out the door into the rest of the house. Hesitating for only a moment Papyrus turned on his heel and chased after the smaller skeleton. Although he was nimble and had powers he was nowhere near as fast as Papyrus's brother; nor as clever. Just like their first meeting Papyrus was able to catch up to him. Grabbing onto his jacket he tried to tell Sans to stop, to explain. Just as he was about to speak Sans teleported. But this time Papyrus was brought along for the ride.

*Black*  
Feeling a shudder of revulsion work it's way through his incorporeal body the entity who had once been a renowned scientist in many of his lives knew that something was amiss. The mirror he was working on had rippled violently before settling again. It was a phenomenon he had never once witnessed, not in the eternity he had been inside the void.

 _'How odd.'_ Was his first thought. The second was abject horror. The mirror had been trying to keep something out of the world where the Red skeleton had been born. Waving his hand across the surface of the still cracked mirror he was able to see into the world. Quickly he located Sans and Papyrus. Sighing in relief he was about to wave the images of the Blue and Purple souled skeletons away when another image flashed before him.

"Oh no..."

*Blue*  
Staying in the same room as the one who had tortured you for days, tried to fuck up your head, and used you as a replacement for his sick fantasies was enough to drive anyone crazy. But Sans was not anyone. With his background in logic, powers that spanned time and space, and the memories of repeating time-lines Sans had just enough left in him to keep it together. The time he spent recuperating in the void, and the fact that the Tyrant had been trying his best to play nice, was enough to keep Sans from falling apart. But that last move was enough to visibly rattle him. he was sure if he didn't tell Papyrus what he really thought then he'd be hit on again. The look in his eye was unmistakable and Sans couldn't help but want to hug himself to try and escape from it.

Instead he threw himself into the strategy and planning session, working far into the night with the alternate version of his brother. When they finally headed toward bed it was in the late hours of the morning and both were fairly tired. On his way up the stairs, papyrus behind him eyeing his rear he was sure, Sans felt a ripple in his soul. Gasping in pain he fell like a stone and would have tumbled all the way down the stairs had it not been for Papyrus catching him.

"Sans! What's wrong?" The concern in Papyrus's voice was real, though he was sure it was only because the tyrant did not wish to lose the only replacement he had for his lost brother.

"Felt like... the first time... I tried using my power here." He gasped out as the pain ebbed away and his heart became stable once more. Although Papyrus looked ready to pick him up Sans stood on his own, his knees wobbling only slightly.

"It feels like a strong sense of Deja Vu, only..." Eyes narrowing in suspicion he pushed passed Papyrus and marched to the front door. Flinging it open he stood, poleaxed, at the visage before him.

Outside Papyrus had hold of a monster that looked almost exactly like him, though the gold tooth glinting in the light made it clear who he was.

"Papyrus?" Sans said, nearly a whisper. The struggling duo froze, looking over at Sans in pure shock. Behind him the Tyrant had come to see what all the commotion was and also looked just as stunned as the other three.

"Papyrus!" Sans ran forward and barrelled right into the taller skeleton's chest, letting his brother grab him up and hug the living daylights out of him. Behind them the Tyrant stalked forward, looking aloof and unamused at the whole situation.

Meanwhile the red skeleton watched on as Sans and his brother reunited, wishing his own brother would react to him like that.

"I see you have returned." The Tyrant said. Sans watched the two edgy bastards as they stood on the sidelines and wanted to roll his eyes. Red was looking like he wanted to throw a tantrum and the Tyrant clearly didn't know how he was supposed to react in this situation. he was about to comment but it seemed his counterpart had reached his limit.

*Purple*  
Finally having enough of this whole bullshit scenario the red skeleton stalked over to his brother and glared up at him, fists clenched in rage. Purple raised an eyeridge at him and was about to open his mouth again when a fist, assisted by magic, crashed into his face; making the taller skeleton fall to the snowy ground. Kneeling on the ground Papyrus reached up and touched the bruise on his jawbone. Shock was plain on his face as Red seethed before him.

"Sans..." In a shaky voice Papyrus whispered the name of the brother he thought lost. Making a choking sound he suddenly sprang forward and wrapped his arms around the smaller skeleton. Sans froze, terrified he was going to be hurt for attacking his brother. Instead Papyrus pressed his skull against Sans' shoulder, his body trembling, as he tried desperately not to let tears fall. It was undignified, embarrassing, and looked entirely weak but Papyrus didn't care. His brother had returned home. The hope he thought lost had been returned to him and he couldnt't control himself any longer.

Completely stunned by this turn of events Red craned his neck to look over at the other Papyrus, who had picked his brother up and was scolding him while tears fell down his cheekbones like a waterfall.

Feeling the anger rise inside his brother Papyrus prepared for the worst. He was fully intending to let Sans beat the crap out of him, if it made him feel better. Instead he scowled and grabbed Papyrus' shoulders, pushing him to arms length.

"You hurt me." He said, as Papyrus gave him a sad look.

"Yes." He admitted.

"You wanted to use me." He accused.

"Yes."

"You tried to Replace me!" He nearly screamed.

"Yes..." With each accusation Papyrus looked more and more pained, an emotion he hadn't showed to anyone in a very, very, long time.

"...did you even want me back?" He whispered, looking deflated. Papyrus reached up and gently lifted his chin so he could look the smaller skeleton in the eyes.

"Every second you were gone was like agony. I couldn't admit that you might be lost forever, the very thought was like ripping out my own heart and stomping on it. I have always loved you Sans, and not having you with me tore a hole right through my soul. I'm afraid I went a little crazy for a while there..." The look he gave Sans was so full of emotion that the red skeleton had no idea how to respond. Papyrus had been so terrible to him for so long he didn't think Sans could believe his words.

"...really?" The word was barely a whisper but Papyrus understood what Sans needed. Gripping the smaller skeleton's skull he leaning in and pressed his forehead against the other, locking eyes.

"Sans, the only reason I tried to replace you is because without you I can no longer go on living. To lose you is to lose the only heart I have left. Of course I wanted you back. Desperately." But unlike the other Papyrus he was not friends with anyone who was powerful, or smart, enough to figure out a way to traverse the void and enter the other world. Even Sans, who was powerful in magic and a Scientist, had no way of helping without a laboratory. Something neither Fell brother had a need for.

"Then why." San began to cry as Papyrus pulled away, unsure what to do.

"Why are you so horrible to me? You belittle me, use me, I try so hard for you because I love you and you won't even praise me." Flinching at the words his arms dropped to his sides and he looked ashamed.

"I never wanted to hurt you, Sans. I wanted you to learn to stand on your own two feet if anything ever happened to me. I didn't want you to feel like you had no way out if I were gone, like you had no hope, to kill yourself if anything ever happened to me. I could't bear the thought of you killing yourself if I wasn't around to protect you. So I hurt you, over and over again, hoping that you would learn to fight back, manipulate, anything that proved to me you would be okay without me." Taking a deep breath he pulled Sans to him again, this time less desperately.

"Ahem." Came a voice behind them, a voice he recognized.

"I see that you have reconciled with your brother, that is good. I am sure you have a lot to talk about. But! How is it that Sans and The Great Papyrus came to be here?"

"I believe I can answer that..." Came a shadowy voice from his brother that was faintly familiar.

*Black*  
Watching the four brothers standing in the Fell verse he wanted to slam his head into the glass from frustration. All his work undone by his own magic. Luckily he had one last trick up his sleeve. He just hoped he could set everything right, so there would once again be a balance and he could go back to his rest.

Sliding into the verse he homed in on his own magical signature and came upon the red souled skeleton. Judging the amount of magic inside him the entity pushed his consciousness into Sans mind, taking it over. Moments later he could see the world through Sans eyes. It was an interesting experience to be sure.

"I am the Guardian of the Mirrors. The one who had to fix what you broke." He stated calmly, his smooth, dark, voice a clear mismatch to the body he was inhabiting.

"Get the fuck out of my brother!" Papyrus the purple spat, a weapon already in his hands. The one whose name was once Gaster sighed, shaking his head at Papyrus as though he were an unruly child.

"I am not harming him in any way. I only came to right the wrong that has transpired. When I leave he will have no ill effects and won't remember this one whit." He stated primly.

"Now, I believe I was about to explain how it was Papyrus and Sans came through into your Verse. First of all, I am the one who ordered Sans to sabotage the machine Doctor Alphys was trying to build. At the time I had no way of communicating what a bad idea it was to punch a whole through Verses. If she had succeeded both worlds would have collapsed and vanished." Said the smooth voice, sounding faintly distressed.

"Secondly, to do this I had to pour my own magic into Sans, in order for the command to stick. What I did not anticipate was that your powers come from the very Void I am an inhabitant of. Because of this my magic was able to merge with Sans, giving him the ability to traverse past the Void and into other Verses. It was my own near-sightedness that caused this occurrence and now this Verse is in danger." Finished his small explanation he turned to Sans, his eyes searching.

"Father?" Sans asked, startling them all. With the cat now out of the bag the being who was once Doctor Gaster, in most universes anyway, chuckled.

"My clever boy." He rumbled pleasantly.

"Yes, though I am no longer your Father. I am the coalesced power, experience, and many lives of every Gaster that has ever been. It was my arrogance and ambition that cause me to form, and be claimed by the Void. Listen, you cannot stay here any longer. With two of you fro another universe here you are endangering the very fabric of their dimension. I can take you both home, then I shall release this Sans." Turning to look at Fell Papyrus he could see the recognition on his face and wanted to sigh.

"Yes, Papyrus. Your own father is here too. It is our fault we disappeared, not Asgore." Though this universe's King was still a problem it was not one he was meant to meddle with. In fact he shouldn't be helping them at all. Universes collapsed from time to time. Usually when their lifespan had run it's course. A new one always popped up eventually. But Gaster could not bear to see his beloved Origin home destroyed, nor his cherished sons vanish from existence.

"Give me your hand, Sans, Papyrus." Both hesitated for a moment, looking over at Fell Papyrus before taking the possessed skeleton's hand.

"For what it is worth; I am sorry for what I put you through Sans. Since we will never again meet I wish you well." Fell Papyrus said, trying to sound sincere, though he struggled.

"I hope you and your brother succeed in your Plans." Sans said, nodding his head. Papyrus, the less edgy one, looked like he wanted to say something but understood that time was short. So he kept his thoughts to himself.

"Here we go." The world fell away from them and the brothers, both of them, looked deathly ill for a moment as the magic pressed against them, trying to steal their magic to fill the void. A moment later the two were back in the Snowdin they had lived their entire lives, relief flooding their bodies.

"Welcome home Sans." Papyrus said, hugging his brother again.


	13. Note

I didn't think I would have to say this but; Do Not Repost My Work.

If you did not ask my permission, if you are not someone I trust to do a Translation; Do Not Repost My Work.

I don't care if you gave me Credit, I don't care if you are doing it for your friends; Do Not Repost My Work.

If I wanted a Translation made I will make it myself or ask someone I trust to do it.

I don't even give my friends permission to post my work, with very few exceptions. Why? Not because I am an arse, or because I don't trust my friends. But because friends loyalties sometimes change and you end up with your work stolen, with all credit going to someone else. The last time this happened I stopped writing for five years, and I'm not going to have that happen again. I'm fairly certain you all would prefer that I finish this story sometime this year. lol

On a side note; I'm still looking for Betas, even for this story. Message me if you're interested.


	14. Good End Part 2

*Red*

The crash of sword upon sword was grating on his ears as they fell back to the last barricade. His clothes were covered in dust, his eyes almost hollow with how many souls he'd seen extinguished before his very eyes. Asgore was throwing all he could at them, but he had only barely been able to keep them at bay using Undyne's battle strategies and power.

"Sans, it's time." Feeling a familiar hand on his shoulder he sagged, a shuddered breath of relief rushing out of him. Turning to look up at his brother he started at the ectoplasm running down his skull, dripping onto the cold grey stone of the castle battlements.

"A-are you sure?" He asked, eyes filling with fear and dread. He knew better than to ask if his brother was alright. If he was still standing then the wound must not have been all that severe. Ripping some cloth off of a frivolous tapestry nearby Papyrus cleaned the ectoplasm away from his skull, so it wouldn't get into his eye socket. Though it wouldn't impede him much it was still a mild distraction.

"I am certain, it is time to end this." With a nod Sans closed his eyes and gathered the magic he would need for the coming fight. Papyrus' words from the alternate word echoed in his mind, telling him that his powers were a part of him, that he should not be afraid of them. Taking a couple deep breaths to muster up as much courage and resolve as he could he waited until his brother was clutching at his jacket, ensuring he would be taken along.

Warping through space, time, and the fabric of everything still felt a little odd. Residual energy left over from when he was possessed, something he had no recollection of, bled off into the void. It left a sort of a dark smoke in his wake, which to be honest looked really cool.

Appearing inside the throne room his brother instantly turned and pressed his back against him; his sword held menacingly before him as the taller skeleton cloaked himself in defensive magic.

"I knew it would be the two bastard sons of that Warlock; I should have killed you myself when I had the chance." Papyrus said nothing, but Sans could feel his aura flare in anger. Their father was still a touchy subject. Whatever the Void Monster had said to his brother had only hardened him further, giving him a determination Sans had never seen in him before.

There. A spear came hurtling toward him from the right. Flinging his hand out toward the spear he let his iron clad control slip and the power came surging out of him, as if eager to be used.

Sometimes it felt as though his Gaster Cannons had a mind of their own, and it terrified him. At the moment, however, he had no choice but to use his power in order to protect Papyrus while he dueled the soon to be deposed tyrant.

"That's a cute trick." Coming out of a well hidden niche the spear carrying warrior gave him a haughty smirk.

"Today I will end you, once and for all." Taking a stance she glowered when Sans couldn't help the sudden nervous giggles that came bubbling forth.

"That was cliche as fuck." With a growl she charged him, spears multiplying in the air around her. Flaring his own aura momentarily he let out a slow breath and snapped his fingers, calling upon the power he alone could use.

Opening his eyes Undyne noticed that his entire demeanor seemed to change and halted her charge, going so far as to back off and send her spears flying ahead of her so she could observe. The three cannons he had summoned obliterated the spears in an instant. For a moment the two were still, eyeing each other. Undyne was definitely a more tactically inclined warrior, but he knew she had never seen the sheer amount of power he could wield. It was an unknown situation, and she had just stumbled into it.

"I never knew... letting go could feel this good." Red smiled. Not a snarky or sarcastic smile, but one that was almost pure bliss. Opening his hand he pointed the palm at Undyne and closed his fist in a violent motion. Two of the cannons shot forward, intercepting more spears, as Sans vanished.

Appearing beside her he reached up and slammed his hand against her armour, taking control of her body. So guarded against the Gaster Cannons she hadn't noticed his presence until too late.

"Hahaha, really? Is that all? I'm almost... disappointed. Papyrus had you pegged as his equal but I haven't even begun to sweat." Gleefully he shoved Undyne to the ground, his power surging out from him in waves. It had been repressed for so long that it was almost concentrated and tangible in the air; suffocating.

"Boss didn't really tell me what he wanted done with you, but if you're going to stay loyal to Asgore I guess I have to take you out." Gasping under the pressure Undyne looked up at Sans, her neck muscles straining under the weight of sheer magical force.

"Don't... be so sure... you're going to... win." Confused he watched where her one eye was moving to and turned his head. Though he didn't want to take his eyes off of her he knew the Gaster Cannons would go off if she tried to stab him.

"Papyrus!" His brother's fight with Asgore was not going well. The King had years more combat experience and his spells kept changing type, making it hard to discern any pattern in his attacks.

"Just... watching... coward…?" Undyne could barely make proper sentences now. It would have made her look pathetic if he had been listening to her, but all of his attention was now on his brother's duel to the death.

Using his power he hurled Undyne out through a window. With his power he pulled a large pile of rubble from the broken battlements and dropped it on top of her. Hopefully knocking her out or crushing her so she wouldn't be able to move.

With one last check to make sure Undyne wouldn't be coming up on their backs any time soon he entered the fight with Asgore.

*Purple*

Feeling his brother's aura flare up behind him Papyrus smiled, hands gripping his sword with more conviction. When push came to shove Sans was a capable and powerful ally. They hadn't had any time to talk properly since he had been returned, other than the brief moment before his possession. They had thrown themselves into planning, avoiding talking about what happened until they could finally feel safe and secure. Papyrus knew he should have told Sans that he loved him, more than anything, in case they did not survive this attempt. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. It was the first time in his life he had chosen cowardice over facing his fears.

"Asgore, your reign will end tonight." The large beastly goat monster gave him a look filled with superiority and loathing. If he had skin he would have felt it crawl from all of the hostility aimed toward him. The King was a cruel, crazy, narcissistic, yet intelligent foe; with power that more than rivaled his own. Papyrus knew he was outmatched, but he would not be outwitted.

"I knew it would be the two bastard sons of that Warlock; I should have killed you myself when I had the chance." Standing up from his throne the monster released an aura that seemed to pool along the floor, it was cold and dark. An aura to reflect his soul.

"You should have." In one swift motion he lunged forward with his sword, both hands on the hilt to give added control. Summoning his trident Asgore blocked his sword with a barely audible grunt.

"No matter, I will dispose of you now." Pushing Papyrus back he twisted the trident, trying to snag his sword and yank it from his hands. Landing a foot away the skeleton swung down and to the left. When Asgore went to block he swerved at the last second, bringing the sword over the trident by a hairs breath. It looked like his sword had gone right into Asgore's shoulder, but the lack of resistance was more telling. Diving away from a spell he glared at the king as the other monster pulled off his large pauldrons and cape. The gaping tear in the cape was proof that he had been close.

"It's like playing with a child." Keeping his face as neutral as he could he was suddenly reminded of a certain tidbit of information given to him by the exiled queen.

"You mean like you played with Asriel?" The amount of rage coming off of the king suddenly filled the room and made it hard to breathe, or maybe that was Sans' power somewhere behind him. He couldn't be sure. Either way Asgore was furious, and if he was angry he was bound to lose sight of himself and start making mistakes.

"You Dare!?" The king roared as he unleashed a flurry of attacks. Dodging as many as he could Papyrus used his sword, and a few well placed spells, to keep away from the raging monster and assessing any weaknesses.

But he'd miscalculated.

The King's rage only seemed to make him faster, stronger, and more unpredictable. He was hard pressed to keep up his own defense, let alone attack in return.

After a particularly nasty spell Papyrus fell to his knees, breath coming in quick gasps as sweat soaked into his cloak. This was it, he'd failed. He was not strong enough to stop the king. All his training and planning was for nothing. Sans, he had to warn Sans to run away.

Turning to yell for his brother to retreat his words caught in his throat when one of his brother's beastly magical constructs suddenly fired off a rapid array of attacks. While Asgore tried to fend it off another one appeared behind him, taking a chunk out of his hit points.

"I'll protect you. No one is going to take you away from me!" Wriggling under his arm Sans helped him to stand, letting his taller brother lean on him for support. It was nice to hear conviction in Sans' voice for once, and a lack of stuttering.

"We shall defeat him together." And they did. Sans' hit and away tactics, plus his ability to stop Asgore dead in his tracks, combined with Papyrus' swordsmanship and ability to harden his aura almost like a shield, they were finally able to topple the monster that had haunted them since they were children.

Standing in the throne room, the former king's ashes at their feet, Sans smiled brightly, though tiredly, up at his brother.

"We did it! Papyrus we-" As if realizing what he had been doing Sans quieted, one hand going to his sleeve and squeezing it, a nervous habit.

"I mean... uh... Congrats Boss." Dropping his sword he fell to one knee in front of Sans. Reaching out he gripped Sans' hand in his and cupped his cheekbone in the other.

"It's over, we don't have to pretend anymore. No more violence, no more fear; we can truly be happy." Sans opened his mouth to reply when Papyrus felt a sudden pain shooting through his body. Coughing up ectoplasm he stared down at the spear through his ribcage and tried to curse.

"You didn't think I would stop after you murdered our king, did you!?"

"Sans... gah-kah... run!"

*Red*

He saw the spear, and the ectoplasm. Heard Undyne's angry declaration and Papyrus' plea; none of it made any sense to him. It was as if his mind had become as empty as a void. But it was quickly being filled with an uncontrollable rage that doubled each second that ticked by. Suddenly, and violently, he reached his breaking point.

What came from him then was not in any language known to monster or man, but a bestial cry of rage and anguish. Emotions ran through his body but his mind was gone. With one hand he called forth the Gaster Cannons, with the other he created as many bone javelins he could in the tiny room.

By the time he was done Undyne was a bloody pincushion that couldn't move even if she had the energy to. But that wasn't enough. His rage refused to subside. He attacked everything in sight, his power running rampant now that it was free to do as it wanted.

Sans would have continued on a blind rampage if it were not for one thing.

"Sans..." That voice. It was the one thing that could cut through his crazed mind and bring back what little sanity he had left.

"Sans, come back to me. This isn't what you want." Boney hands gripped his wrists as a leg sweep had him falling to his back on the plush rug. Being held down made him thrash and growl, trying desperately to escape. Yet he couldn't bring himself to attack whatever it was holding him captive, his instincts wouldn't let him.

"Sans, it's me. You're safe now, I am safe." Something warm and inviting pressed against his skull and he blinked as he began to recognize the shape above him. Slowly the rage began to subside and his wrists were released.

"P-Papyrus?" His voice was shaky and his body was worn out from the sheer amount of power coursing through his body.

"Shhh." A hand moved his hoodie out of the way, revealing part of the collarbone. One nip was all it took to make Sans gasp and come back to himself again.

"wha-bu-huh?" He said eloquently.

"Well, now that you've come back to your senses. Let's find that crown and tell the troops to stand down. The need for fighting is over."

*Conclusion*

It took two weeks to finally sort everything out, and for Papyrus to prove that he was, without a doubt, the new monarch of the underground. There was a lot of cleanup to do and for the first week it was very hectic. Monsters heard that Papyrus had defeated Asgore and came to challenge him, believing he'd assassinated the previous king using dastardly means rather than facing him in one on one combat. How wrong they were. Every challenger that came to fight him lost, yet he spared their lives. The world they lived in was about to be turned upside down, whether they liked it or not.

In the weeks before the coronation ceremony Papyrus had been changing laws left and right, freeing unjustly jailed citizens, hiring new staff for the castle, and replenishing the Royal Guard. Undyne remained chained in the dungeons under heavy guard; he had yet to decide what to do with her. She had been Asgore's greatest supporter and had remained loyal to him despite his cruelty. Sans wasn't sure how she'd survived his onslaught but Papyrus seemed impressed with her tenacity.

Sans watched over his brother as the big day drew closer, bringing him snacks, giving his opinions on new laws, and using his magic to carry Papyrus to bed when he'd passed out at his desk, exhausted. Throughout all of this Sans had a growing sense of dread inside of him. Everything was changing, including his brother. His tone was still regal and commanding, but it no longer held the aggressive edge he had become familiar with. They still hadn't spoken about what happened when he was away, about how he felt coming home, or what changes there would be between them.

Biting his phalanges he hid in his own personal set of rooms, staring at the new clothes that had been made specifically for the coronation. The fabric of the tunic and matching pants were a deep red, but with gold highlights instead of the usual black. Papyrus' outfit was in royal purple and consisted of a tastefully decorated tunic and pants with a long, luxurious, cloak. If he wasn't so wracked with worry Sans might have felt elated over the fact that his brother was giving him such nice clothes to wear for a once in a life-time celebration.

"He barely looks at me anymore..." Sighing to himself he climbed into bed and closed his eyes.

It was the day of the Coronation and practically every monster had come out to see Papyrus properly crowned King. Sans fussed with his outfit, feeling uncomfortable without his overly large winter jacket. Monsters stared at him as he stood nearby the dias in the Great Hall, where they were having the ceremony. Guards were everywhere, keeping an eye out for any rabble-rousers and patrolling the aisles. On the Dias a speaker came forward, a scroll in his hands. The crowd went silent, it was starting.

"In absence of a High Priest, or the previous King, we have called upon the exiled Queen to present the crown. She has been formally forgiven her past crime of High Treason and will be housed in the castle henceforth." A gasp went through the crowd as the former queen stepped onto the Dias with a pillow in her hands. The crown was newly made by smiths of the castle and gleamed in the light spilling through the stained glass windows.

The doors at the end of the hall opened when the trumpets sounded and Papyrus stepped out, head held high and shoulders back. Watching his brother walk down the hall at a slow, regal, pace made his bones tremble. It was everything Papyrus had always wanted, everything he deserved.

As the tall skeleton came to the edge of the dias he knelt on one knee, head bowed and body language subdued. It was clear this was a solemn and important moment. The crowd of monsters collectively held their breaths as Toriel lowered the crown upon his skull. The moment it was placed upon his brow the crowd erupted into cheering, with a few quiet looks of disapproval from those who had challenged him and lost miserably.

Standing and turning to face the monsters of the hall in one smooth motion, his cloak flaring out behind him, he raised his arms and looked around the hall. It took a couple moments but the crowd slowly subsided, watching their new king with anticipation.

"My first act as King is to declare that all Traitors are to be forgiven and released. This is a new day, a new Monarchy. I am not like Asgore. I do not relish violence. I aim to be a peaceful King, regardless of how I received the crown." Sans wanted to chew on his phalanges again but knew he'd be scolded later if he didn't act properly in front of the 'masses.'

"My second act as King is to Judge. Bring forth the prisoner." At his command doors to the side of the hall opened and a group of guards escorted a still chained Undyne to the front of the dias, where she was asked to kneel. Surprising everyone in the hall Undyne actually did fall to her knees.

"I will ask you one thing before I begin your judgment; why were you loyal to Asgore?" Sans watched Papyrus and the monster who had almost succeeded in killing him, his magic stirring around his bones at the memory. Toriel gave him a look of surprise but said nothing, moving slightly away from him instead.

"I was not in control of my own actions. My loyalty was a farce, I was being controlled. With Asgore dead and the spell broken I am a free monster once more." Sans frowned and glanced at his brother. It was hard to tell if she was telling the truth or not. He might have been slow on the uptake but he wasn't an idiot. Papyrus had been trying to teach him subterfuge and psychology for years. This could just be a ploy to get into his good books so she could get revenge. Sans opened his mouth.

"As I was the one who broke the spell I can confirm this to you all. Undyne, you are released from imprisonment and will be reinstated as the Head of the Royal Guard. But know this, to betray me is to betray the trust of every monster in the underground. If you falter even once, I will not hesitate to imprison you once more." With the wave of his gloved hand the chains binding Undyne fell to the floor and she rose. A nearby guard handed her back her spear as the crowd watched on. Undyne knelt before the new King and swore fealty to him before taking her place at the bottom left of the dias, watching the crowd and holding herself as if she had never been imprisoned in the first place.

"My final act as King today is the most important." Turning away from the crowd Papyrus smiled at Sans, making his heart thud loudly inside his ribcage.

"As he is my brother I am giving Sans the title of Prince. He will reside here in the castle and will be given the respect he has long been due." This wasn't what they had rehearsed, he thought as he stiffly walked to the front of the dias and knelt on one knee, feeling as if he might fall over from nerves alone.

"I, Papyrus, King of the Underground, also declare Sans to be my Heir. Should I ever fall Sans will take my place as King." The hall exploded into confused noise. No one thought Sans was powerful enough to take the mantle of King if Papyrus should ever be killed.

"Silence! It has been done." The slight menace in his voice, and intimidating aura of annoyance, was enough to silence most of the crowd, with a few small grumblers here and there. Sans swallowed and bowed his head, accepting the slender crown that was placed on his head by Papyrus.

"Now, let the celebration begin!"

It had been a long day. His bones were aching and he felt like doing nothing else but falling into the ultra soft bed he had been sleeping in since moving into the castle. Papyrus said he had something to finish up before he came to say goodnight so Sans decided to try and wait up. Sitting at his desk he read over more of the new laws and tried to memorize them. When Papyrus was busy he was the one the guards would call on to judge whether someone had done something wrong or not, and what their punishment would be if they had.

Stifling a yawn he sighed and leaned back in the chair, looking out the window to the city below.

"Papyrus..." A long, slender, hand reached around his neck and suddenly tilted his head back, making him look up.

"You called?" His brother said in a playfully smug tone.

"Oh, uh, I was just..." A chuckle made him stop babbling as the hand was taken away. The loss of touch was almost painful for him, his shoulders drooping slightly. Without warning his chair was pulled out from the desk and turned, so that he was facing his brother.

"What's wrong?" The expression on his face was not one he'd seen in a very long time. Papyrus was openly concerned. He knew he couldn't avoid talking about it any longer, Papyrus had him boxed in and if he teleported away he'd just get in shit later.

"I... I don't know where we stand anymore... you've been so distant lately..." Feeling ashamed for being such a weakling he was about to look at the floor when his chin was again tilted upward.

"Sans, I love you. No one else but you. I've been busy lately, that's all. I wanted to get things done before today, before tonight." As his tone dropped from one of stern lecturing to a playful purr Sans felt a pleasant shiver run up his spine. Papyrus leaned over him, lifting his hand and kissing the bones gingerly.

"You are my Prince, and now nothing will keep us apart." Sans was no stranger to sex, no stranger to sex with Papyrus either, but somehow the tenderness in his brother's voice made him feel shy, almost embarrassed. King Papyrus was so different from his old self that Sans briefly wondered if he hadn't switched back after all, or maybe he had fallen asleep on his desk and this was a dream.

Tugging him up from the chair Papyrus lifted him into his arms, and smirked down at him when he squeaked in surprise.

"From now on I can treat you as you have always deserved." Sans barely noticed where they were going. He was too flustered, too excited. His heart thudding so loud he was sure the whole castle could hear it.

"Do not allow anyone to disturb us." Papyrus said as he passed by the Royal Guards who stood outside his bedchamber. They replied in unison, their faces carefully devoid of any expression.

Once inside Papyrus sealed the doors with magic, an extra precaution, and lay him gently on the bed. The room was dimly lit with scattered candles, giving off very little light, except for the fireplace which cast long shadows throughout the room. Sans had been in this room a few times, but never when his brother was awake and not working.

"Sans." A nip to his collarbone startled a gasp from him. Somehow, when he'd not been paying attention, Papyrus had unbelted his tunic and pulled it up to his neck. Deft and knowing hands ran along his ribs, making him shiver in delight. Slipping the tunic over his skull he tossed it to the floor. Papyrus gave him a knowing and pleased smirk.

"A little eager, are we?" He asked playfully as he unbelted his own tunic and tossed it aside. Kneeling between Sans' legs Papyrus hooked his fingers into the hem of the pants and tugged them down, freeing the already formed member.

Sans was a little disoriented. Lately his brother had been nothing but kind to him. Even if they hadn't spent a lot of time together the moments alone had been filled with polite or downright sweet dialogue and gentle touches. It made him feel like he and his brother were drifting apart somehow.

Again his attention had drifted and he was surprised when Papyrus' hot tongue ran over his glowing member, before it was engulfed entirely. Flushing and grasping at the bedsheet he was perplexed at the feeling of frustration that began building in the pit of his stomach at the slow, gentle, pace Papyrus was setting for them. The gentle caresses weren't nearly enough and although he was enjoying the treatment it just made him more and more unnerved.

"B-bro, s-stop." He finally blurted out, stuttering due to nerves as he sat up and pushed Papyrus away from him. Papyrus looked stunned, hurt, confused, and angry all at once. The emotions flickered over his face almost too fast, making him hard to read.

"Sans, I am doing everything I can to be gentle with you, like you wanted." Papyrus sounded less angry now, more perplexed, and more than a little frustrated if his own glowing member was any indication.

"I-I'm sorry, I... I j-just d-don't know what's w-wrong with me. I want to be held, I want you to praise me, but... I-I just..." Small tears came to the corners of his eyes as he latched onto Papyrus, his phalanges hooking into the taller skeleton's ribcage as he roughly kissed his king. Sans didn't know how to explain it. He wanted the gentle touches and the soft spoken words, to have his brother treat him like he wasn't a waste of space. But he also wanted those rough hands to push him into the bed while his slender body loomed above, that look of superiority on his face as he screwed Sans into oblivion.

"I think I understand; but are you sure you aren't just used to the rougher treatment? If I start now I won't stop, you know that." There was an aggressive tone in his voice, one that spoke of iron clad control breaking. Sans fell back against the bed and nodded, tears still leaking from his eyes.

"Mhm." With permission to do what he wanted Papyrus gripped his wrists and held him to the bed, one hand roughly running along his ribs. Sans whimpered as Papyrus loomed over him. This was what his body wanted, what it craved. Papyrus leaned down and kissed his forehead gently.

"I will do as you like, however, no more degrading remarks; I promise." That said Papyrus went into full attack mode, his teeth making slight indentations on Sans collarbone, making the smaller skeleton moan in pleasure. Taking that as a good sign Papyrus flipped him over onto his front and yanked him up, pulling him into a kneeling position.

"My beautiful Sans, all mine at last~" Papyrus purred as his hands trailed down to Sans' hips, his magic keeping Sans' arms above his head. Running his fingers down his Prince's spine he felt Sans shiver and revelled in his whimpers. With a dark chuckle he wrapped his hand around Sans' member and tugged on it sharply. The yelp and then groan of pleasure made his own arousal jump.

"Lords above and below; you are so captivating like this~" Kissing down Sans' spine he relished the trembling, panting, mess Sans was quickly becoming. It wouldn't be long until he started to beg.

"P-Papyrus, p-please~" It was like music to his ears, so to speak.

"What did you call me?" He asked, stilling his hands and using his magic to pull Sans' arms up, so he could barely kneel on the bed. Sans' groaned and whimpered, squirming.

"Bo-Br-Ma..." Papyrus could hear the confusion in his voice and couldn't help but smile, he was so adorable when he was flustered.

"I am your King." He reminded Sans, tilting his head back so he could look Sans in the face to see his adorable blush.

"P-please, ff-uck me senseless... Majesty." The flush that covered his face and spread down his bones from the slight humiliation was all the invitation Papyrus needed. Without preparation he grabbed Sans' hips and plunged inside, rubbing against the bones in a deliciously satisfying way.

Sans was losing it. The sudden penetration made him swoon with pleasure. If it hadn't been for Papyrus' magic keeping him upright he would have face planted into the bed. The taller skeleton made deep, powerful, thrusts inside of him, and he was quickly losing his mind to the building euphoria. Unable to control himself drool dripped down his chin as he gasped and moaned, begging his brother to go faster, harder.

"Ohhn~ Y-yesss. W-wreck me~" Sans hit his climax first, blue ectoplasm staining the sheets a cerulean blue. Papyrus growled and bit into his shoulder-blade, shoving him roughly to the bed as he released the magic binding Sans' arms. The smaller skeleton crumpled like a marionette with the strings cut, gasping, tired, and satisfied.

"Ngh, S-sans." Papyrus ground out between gritted teeth. He was close now. With a few more thrusts he finally came, purple ectoplasm staining Sans bones violet and mixing with the already blue mess on the sheets beneath them. Pulling out of Sans he rolled over on the bed and relaxed, the magic receding and vanishing of it's own accord. Sans had yet to move, but his breathing was still a little ragged. It was almost like he was afraid to move. Papyrus sighed before sitting up smiling down at him.

"Come here." His gentle tone and smiling face surprised Sans almost as much as the invitation. They hadn't cuddled since they were young; since before the incident where Sans got the crack in his skull. Rolling over he scooted closer and felt his brother's arms wrapping around him. With a happy sigh he leaned against his brother, feeling content at last.

"Rest, sleep; I will be here when you wake." Papyrus words sounded like any other order, but he was able to tell the difference. He smiled at his brother, knowing he was worried that Sans had overdone it.

"I... I love you." Gripping Papyrus ribs he half whispered this 'confession,' half expecting Papyrus to scoff at him. Papyrus smiled, looking truly happy and relaxed for the first time since their father vanished all those years ago.

"I love you too. I love you more than anything else in this world, do not ever forget that." That said the two fell asleep cuddled close together, finally happy.


	15. Good End Part 3

*Blue*

While Papyrus was hugging his brother Sans felt the chains he had placed around his true emotions begin to crumble, already fragile from being fought against for so long. With a sudden gasp, his soul flashing erratically, he slipped to the ground and began to sob. Fear, anger, relief, happiness, sadness, and every other emotion he'd held back rushed through him as Papyrus held him tighter while making soft, comforting, noises.

"It's over now. You're safe. Everything is fine. I am here, and you are not going anywhere ever again." Stroking his back and his skull, the gentle touches solely meant to comfort, the taller skeleton was able to return him to a state of relative calm. Papyrus had always been good at the whole optimism thing.

"I'm just… so glad to be home." He said, with no hint of a pun to help lighten the mood as he choked on the lump in his throat.

During his little breakdown the possessed skeleton stood nearby, watching them quietly but saying nothing. When Sans finally pulled himself together the entity approached them carefully, looking faintly distressed. Or at least as distressed as he could while possessing another monster.

"I cannot stay here in this body for long. I can feel the fabric of this universe unraveling slowly around us. If I could have a moment of your time, Sans, I would appreciate it." He said in that near monotone voice. Sans nodded and pulled away from Papyrus. The taller skeleton bristling slightly and gripping onto his hand; afraid to let him go.

"Alone, if I could." With a sigh Sans turned to his brother and gave him his usual cheery smile. A smile he was pretty sure Papyrus could now tell was a fake.

"I'll be okay Paps. We'll just be over there." Pointing to a spot within view of the house he convinced his brother to let go, but only barely.

Knowing what possessed the other skeleton Sans knew he had nothing to fear as they walked over to the place he had indicated. Papyrus stood back, looking on anxiously.

"Sans. I wanted to apologize to you, though I am almost certain it will mean nothing. As an entity that was called into the Void I could not help you in your plight. I... am sorry that your Father, that I, vanished from your lives. But what was done cannot be undone. I only wish I could have saved you from the suffering you have endured thus far..." With the monotone voice and dead stare Sans didn't quite know how to take what Gaster, what his father, was saying to him. After a moment he sighed, closed his eyes, and crossed his arms.

"It's- okay. I'm not alright, but I will be eventually. We've been doing good on our own so far. Now that I'm back I think I'll... I'll confide in Papyrus more. I've always trusted him with everything else and if Red talked about his home life at all then Paps probably has a good idea of what I... what happened." He said carefully, keeping a neutral expression as best he could.

"I'll be honest with you, I hated you for a while after you vanished. No one even remembered you existed except for me. Your experiments took you away from us. From Papyrus. But... it wasn't, we... we worked things out. We took care of ourselves and looked after each other." Sans couldn't help but feel his shoulders slump as he remembered all the times he had felt Papyrus' dust sifting through his fingers. The pain of being killed by the Kid. Or worse; losing everyone and being left alone again.

"Sans. Don't think that I cannot see what you and Papyrus have been through, or will go through. There is always a happy ending. Please, take care of yourselves." That said Gaster stood back, nodded toward Papyrus, and in a puff of black smoke vanished from their universe. Sans shuddered, feeling a slight ripple in the fabric of time and space coming from the place the other skeleton had once stood.

Staring at nothing, his hands going into the pockets of the jacket he had been forced into by the tyrannical version of Papyrus, he contemplated how life would change for them from here on out.

"Brother?" Papyrus said softly from behind him, the concern in his voice clear. Turning he gave the taller skeleton a wide grin, even though he felt far too tired to be jovial.

"I seriously need to take a nap." Papyrus huffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and not saying anything as a bright smile crept across his face.

"Come, we shall get you a change of clothes, a good plate of my amazing spaghetti, and a nice long nap. I am certain you will feel much better after these things." Shrugging he followed Paps to the house and sighed in happiness at the warm interior. Being back home was a wonderfully nostalgic feeling and he just wanted to flop onto the couch, curl up, and pass out. But first things first; he wanted out of Red's clothes.

Going upstairs to his room he stood, stunned still, at how clean it was. For a moment he felt wholly uncomfortable as he walked inside, closed the door, and started to get changed. He knew the feeling of discomfort came from the familiarity of that immaculate room, and the tyrant who had forced him to keep it so. He might not feel comfortable there at the moment but he was sure, in time, it would feel like home again.

As soon as he was dressed in his usual outfit, with a clean blue hoodie, he felt more of the tension drain from his bones. By the time he came out of his room he looked and felt a lot more like his old self.

Coming down the stairs he could smell the tomato sauce that Papyrus was cooking in the kitchen while humming loudly. After being away from home for... he wasn't quite sure how long, he almost felt like a stranger in his own home. Sitting gingerly on the couch he nearly jumped when Papyrus called to him from the kitchen.

"Sans, it will only be a little longer; the noodles just have to boil." He said in a sing-song voice. Sliding down the couch he leaned back and stared at the ceiling, exhausted now that he felt safe. Closing his eyes he curled up against the armrest, figuring he'd just rest until Papyrus returned with the pasta. It wasn't long until he was fast asleep.

*Orange*

Glancing out of the kitchen to the small form on the couch Papyrus couldn't help but feel concern deep in his bones. It was all well and good that his brother had returned home but the outpouring of emotion was so unlike him. Papyrus had been able to almost physically feel the cry of his soul as whatever had kept his brother together during his time away finally broke down. As strong as his brother was he knew that it would take a long time before Sans would feel safe again. Much like what had happened with Red when he first appeared.

From the sharing of Red Sans' memories he knew what his other self was capable of, and how he treated his brother. What kinds of horrors had Sans witnessed while in the other world? The lack of puns and goofy smile were glaring signs that something horrible had happened to him. Papyrus clenched his hand around the wooden stirring spoon, anger flitting across his soul as he realized he should have punched the other him in the face. Then again he wasn't a particularly violent monster, usually.

The sudden loud beeping of the timer brought him back to the present and he could see Sans flailing on the couch from the corner of his eye socket. Once he had looked around the room and decided there was no immediate danger the small skeleton settled down again. But it had been more than enough evidence for Papyrus to know that Sans would indeed need time before he felt safe again.

Finishing up with the spaghetti he realized he had yet to inform anyone of Sans' return. Pulling out his phone he quickly dialed the Scientist's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Hello Alphys~ I have wonderful news..." It took him a few moments to explain what had happened, and that Sans had returned. She asked a bunch of questions, all in a jumbled mess, but he answered them as best he could. She seemed relieved that her sabotaged machine would not be needed, as she had no idea where to start in fixing it.

"How is Sans d-d-doing? Is he alright?" She inquired, her voice high with concern.

"My brother is… okay for the moment. But I think it is going to be a while before he feels at home again." There was a silence on the other side of the phone and he couldn't help but smile sadly. Hearing a bubbling sound he glanced over at the pot and quickly turned off the element.

"I am sorry Alphys, I must go. The Spaghetti is finished and who knows how long it's been since Sans had a good meal." He stated politely. She asked if he could keep her informed on how Sans was doing and he agreed. Finished the call he stuffed the phone back into his scarf, where he usually kept it, and picked up the two plates of spaghetti.

As he came out into the living room he wanted to sigh. No matter how much he loved Sans and wanted to help he wasn't sure if he could do this alone. Certainly he had enough hope and optimism to keep his brother from becoming too sad but he had no idea how to mend his injured heart or soul.

Seeing that Sans had fallen back asleep he set the food down on the table before leaning over his brother and gently shaking him awake. The moment his hand touched his brother he realized that he'd made a mistake as his brother woke with a start, his eye glowing blue defensively. Slowly Papyrus pulled his hand away as he smiled gently down at his brother.

"It is alright Sans, you are safe at home now. Remember?" His soft tone and smiling face eased Sans nerves and the blue magic receded. Looking down Sans seemed ashamed that he had reacted so violently to being woken. But he would not allow his brother to wallow in guilt, not if he had anything to say about it.

"I understand that you have been through a lot, probably things I will never understand. But you do not have to feel ashamed or guilty. I am here for you Sans, you are my brother and I love you." The sincere love and comfort in Papyrus' voice seemed to reach the smaller skeleton, who nodded but didn't say anything, too choked up with emotion to respond.

"Here; your share of dinner." Picking up the plate he handed it to his brother and sat on the other side of the couch, leaving a little room between them so Sans wouldn't feel overwhelmed.

Turning on the television they sat watching the new Mettaton special as they ate their, now slightly cold, pasta.

*Blue*

Waking up bright and early the next day Sans made his way downstairs and started going about his usual tasks. By the time he was almost finished and Papyrus was out of bed he realized that he hadn't needed to do anything. Papyrus stood at the foot of the stairs, eyes wide as he looked around the now spotless home.

"You didn't have to do all this by yourself, Sans. Although I am happy to see the house so clean I really think you should go back to bed and rest." He said cheerfully. Making Sans feel embarrassed. The fact that his room had been so clean, and having left the black jacket on top of his dresser, he had forgotten that he was home safe. It was going to take him quite a while before he fell out of the habits the Tyrant had forced him to learn.

"Oh, well, it needed a good cleaning anyway." He said with a shrug as he walked past his brother back up the stairs and into his room. Closing the door behind him he sighed. He couldn't even come up with a funny pun right now. His body remembered the pain all too well whenever he'd made a pun in front of the Tyrant.

Deciding to go back to sleep, since his brother was letting him get away with it, he flopped onto his bed and snuggled under the covers. Tired from the recent upheaval, and from cleaning the house, it took him less than a minute to fall back into the world of dreams.

Except that he was not in the world of dreams. Instead he was standing in front of a familiar mirror, his aura bristling as he tried to move his spectral form away from it.

"Do not worry. No one will be passing through this mirror ever again. I only brought you here to show you this." Turning to the darkness he gave a crooked smile to the slender skeleton wrapped in robes made of pure darkness, flowing around him like a living thing. Gaster looked almost exactly the same as he remembered, although his eyes were now pitch black pools of void.

"This mirror has been mended and reinforced. None will ever travel betwixt your worlds again. You shouldn't have been able to travel through either, but rarer occurrences have happened before." Examining the mirror he could tell that it was no longer splintered, the tiny cracks completely gone. Rather than the barely visible wall between him and the other world he could actually see the thickness of the new barrier. Although, since he didn't see a reflection of himself on the other side, he couldn't exactly call it a mirror anymore.

"Thanks. But I think I'd like to go back to wherever it is I go when I sleep." He said with a small smile. Gaster gave him a faint smile in return before the darkness around him surrounded Sans.

"See you around, dad." With that said his mind returned to his body, a little less anxious than before.

Over the course of a couple weeks Sans slowly got out of the house more, returning to his random jobs and trying to live as if nothing had happened. It was clear to those who knew him that he had been changed by the experience but he didn't know how to talk to his brother about it yet. He as sure that learning what had happened would break Papyrus. But then again he had been wrong about the strength of his brother before.

The one glaring difference between before he had gone to the other world and after was the fact that he avoided Grillby's. Papyrus had even asked him about it once or twice but he had given the taller skeleton a non-answer or made a lame joke to change the subject. Sans knew that Grillby and Chillby were not the same person, much like his brother and the Tyrant. But he didn't feel ready to go back until a couple of weeks had passed.

Getting ready to leave the house he was halted by his brother's concerned voice.

"Sans, are you going out?" The worry in Papyrus' tone made him smile sincerely as he turned to look back at him.

"Just, going to visit Grillby's. I figure it's about time I said hi to my old friend..." The two of them stood there, silently, as Papyrus frowned.

"Just don't stay out too late, or I shall be forced to come and get you." He said with conviction. Sans chuckled and nodded, heading out into the cold and closing the door behind him.

Standing outside the pub he shuffled his feet in the snow uncertainly before finding his resolve and entering the building. All at once the patrons went quiet as he entered, making him feel awkward and wary. What had Red done to make them react so weirdly to his presence? Walking straight to the bar he sat in his favourite seat and smiled up at the bartender and long time friend.

"Hey Grillby, one order of Ketchup." Eyeing him for a moment the flame monster came out from behind the bar and gave him an affectionate pat on the shoulder.

-It's good to have you back. I missed your familiar presence here.- Smiling up at the flame monster he felt the warm emotions emanating from him and couldn't help but to smile. Now he felt silly for thinking he'd have a breakdown in the pub from his memories of Chillby overlapping with reality. Grillby was the exact opposite of the cold monster that had tried to… hurt him.

The night passed without much incident, Grillby handing him bottles of ketchup and filling him in on everything that Red had done while he'd been gone. He briefly wondered how Grillby had been able to tell when Chillby had not but he put that thought away for later. Eventually Sans was banging his head against the bar repeatedly, why was Red such an antagonistic bastard? Now some of the residents were frightened of him.

"Great. Now my image as a lazy prankster is ruined." He pouted into his bottle of ketchup.

-Anyone with sense can see that you are one of the busiest monsters in the Underground, Sans. The only ones who know you as a lazy prankster just aren't looking closely enough.- A warm voice and melodic laugh, it as actually really comforting. Even though Papyrus was trying his best at home there were just some things he couldn't share, things that would take him a while to get over. But he'd swore on his magic that if he escaped the Tryant he would let Papyrus in. He would try to explain things and be open, honest with his brother. Maybe he'd start tonight. When he got home he'd sit down with Papyrus and go over some of the smaller things.

-Gold coin for your thoughts? On the other hand, I think you owe me your fair share in gold...- The suddenly exasperated tone from the flame monster in front of him made him laugh. Grillby was probably the most observant monster in the underground. But only because Papyrus could be so naive that he didn't act on his observations. Besides, his brother was a special case. Grillby was a bartender, and had been for many years. He knew how to capitalize on information he'd gathered.

"Just had a hell of a time lately." He said, shrugging his shoulders, not even trying to make a pun knowing that the flame monster would see right through it. At this point he was already a few bottles in and felt no reason to sugarcoat how he felt anyway. Something warm touched his arm gently and he looked up in surprise.

-If you need someone to talk to, really talk to, I would be more than happy to help you unburden yourself.- A chill ran down Sans' spine as he felt panic rise in his chest, his breathing becoming rapid. Slowly Grillby took his hand back as Sans barely kept himself together. The voice was soft, warm, and inviting. But there was an emotion buried in it he wasn't sure he could handle quite yet.

"You know… I might like that some time. It's nice to have a friend to talk to." He said carefully, hoping that Grillby understood. The flame monster smiled at him, disappointment barely hidden. Perhaps, when Sans felt more comfortable around the flaming monster, he would be able to have a one on one discussion.

-Well, I am always here for you if, and when, you need me.-

*Orange*

By the time night had fallen in the Underground Papyrus was tapping his feet, pacing the floor, and checking the wall on the clock. Sans had been gone for quite a while and the worry had been building in his chest since his brother had left his sight. He couldn't help but fear something terrible had happened. Like Sans being snatched up and thrown into another world. Looking at the clock one last time he decided to go to the pub in search but stopped when the front door opened and he heard voices.

"Sa-" About to speak he came around the corner and stopped, surprise written all over his face.

"Thanks for the help Grills." Sans looked no worse for the wear as he stood in the doorway to their shared abode. Standing on the front stoop was the bar owner, looking a little out of place in the cold though not seeming bothered by it all that much.

-It was a pleasure talking with you, as always. I hope you have a good night Sans.- With a smile and a wave his brother closed the door and slipped off his shoes. He seemed relaxed and a lot better than he had been the last few days, but Papyrus was too distracted by what he had just seen to notice.

Due to that little interaction between the bar owner and his brother he felt the need to go over every interaction he had seen between the two of them that he had ever witnessed, his new over-protectiveness making him worry probably more than he should. Although the changes were subtle he had noticed that the flaming monster was particularly kind to his brother over other monsters. It was both a good thing and a little worrying all at once. Especially with Sans in such a fragile state.

"I am glad to see you home before the time I usually come to drag you away from the bar." He said with a good natured huff, standing with arms crossed and leaning slightly against the doorway into the back room. Sans froze for a moment before calming. He'd been much better at that recently.

"Yeah well, I didn't want to worry you. Plus I had an escort." Using his thumb to point at the door he came inside and sat down on the couch with a plop. Papyrus walked over and took a seat next to his brother, deep in thought.

"I could see that. As usual Grillby is very dependable, even if he allows you to drink too much." Eyeing his brother, trying to judge how out of it he was, he saw Sans grin sheepishly and tsked.

"For someone so hot-headed he sure is cool." Papyrus put a hand against his face, trying to hide both a look of relief and a snicker at the awful attempt at a pun.

"Right, that's it. Off to bed with you. You are tired and need to rest, so says the Great Papyrus." With a smile Sans stood up and gave a lazy salute before heading up to bed. Papyrus couldn't help watching his progress as he made his way upstairs and closed the door. He still couldn't tell when his brother teleported but he could hear movement in his brother's room and assumed that Sans was inside.

The next morning Sans was waiting for him at the breakfast table, having made breakfast for them both.

"Papyrus, I think it's time we had a talk." Stiffening for a moment he eyed his brother critically before simply nodding and sitting down to eat.

When they were finished and he had placed all the dishes in the sink he sat back down, across from his brother, and waited patiently for him to speak. He knew this was going to be hard on Sans, and it would probably give him nightmares, but he wanted to be there for his brother now.

"You probably saw a lot from Red's memories, the kinds of things the Tyrant put him through, the torture, the..." He stopped and took a ragged breath.

"Take all the time you need, Sans. If you do not feel ready to talk about it I will not push you for details." The wavering smile of gratitude he received made his soul ache. It pained him to see his once confident brother looking this broken.

"B-because you saw all of Red's memories I can't exactly hide my 'other' powers from you anymore. My ability to teleport, my ability to remember Timelines that no longer exist." Oh, was that why the memories hadn't seemed to match up? Why they seemed to vanish only to come back different from before. He had thought that was strange but since he had never performed a magical transfer before he hadn't known that was abnormal until now.

"I promised myself, promised, that if I escaped that world I would come clean with you." His body shook slightly and papyrus had to hold back the urge to just pick his brother up for a cuddle. This was important to Sans and he didn't want to derail the conversation.

"There's… there's this Human kid who shows up every once in a while. Sometimes they're good, and really want to help us. But most of the time… most of the time they go around killing… killing everyone." Papyrus' eyes went wide as he felt the fear and desolate sadness coming off his brother.

"How many times have I watched my friends die? How many times did I feel your dust slipping through my fingers, knowing that once again I couldn't save you? That I was alone in a dead world and couldn't save the people who were most important to me!" Putting his face in his hands Sans emotions peaked and Papyrus could see the Gaster Blaster's fading in and out of existence as his magic responded. Standing up from his chair he strode over to his brother and pulled him into the warmest hug he could.

"But I'm still here. Right now I am here with you and I promise I will never, ever, leave you alone again." Slowly Sans began to calm, though the tears continued to fall down his face.

It took a couple of hours for Sans to finally cry himself to sleep but Papyrus felt that they had made some progress. Staring down at his brother he clenched his hands and scowled. If the Human was what was causing Sans' pain then he would show no mercy. The moment he learned the human was killing monsters he would end them to protect his friends, to protect his brother.

The Purple Papyrus might have loved his brother in some sick way, and the two of them were very different people. But they did have one thing in common; the need to protect Sans. His brother had been through so much, taking on the burden of trying to save the Underground alone. But now that he knew of the threat he wouldn't let himself stay oblivious. Sans was his precious and only brother. His Family, and he wouldn't let someone take that away from him again. If only to preserve Sans' happiness.

"From now on I will protect you. You do not need to face this burden alone."

*Blue*

After his talk with Papyrus Sans felt as if something heavy had been taken from him. Papyrus was the same as ever and didn't judge him for keeping secrets, or for breaking down. There were still things they needed to talk about but his brother was letting him speak in his own time, making sure he felt no pressure to unload all of his feelings at once. It was exhausting, trying to speak about everything that had happened. But for now life went on like usual, if not even better than before. From now on, no matter what Timeline, he decided to tell Papyrus everything and give him the same warning about the human.

As weeks turned into months his relationships with other monsters improved and he felt more like himself. One monster in particular paid him a lot more attention than before, or maybe he was just now noticing it.

It was hard keeping the memories from his time in the Fellverse from overlapping with his own world but nobody blamed him when he reacted badly to something, like being startled or touched suddenly. The only monster who seemed particularly sad about his new fear of touch, besides his brother, was Grillby. He'd gone back to the bar many times after coming home and his apprehension was completely gone. In fact he was finding more and more that he liked being around the flaming monster. Grillby was considerate of his feelings and personal space, fully invested in the topics they talked about, and didn't judge him on his past experiences.

"Sans, are you going to the Bar again?" Turning to look at Papyrus, his hand on the doorknob, he smiled at his brother.

"Yeah, there's going to be a Poker Tournament, I wanted to try my luck." Papyrus looked down at him, his face stern and eyes narrowed slightly before he seemed to relax.

"Fine, however, I will also be going with you this time." Sans was confused. Papyrus wasn't exactly an unfriendly monster but the Bar wasn't really his kind of place. With a shrug he opened the door and they headed out into the cold.

Coming into the bar he saw Grillby look up the moment the door closed behind them and he waved. The smile he got in response was so warm that it made his stomach twist and, for a moment, he almost felt nervous to walk up to the bar and take a seat. Unlike him Papyrus was already heading over to stand by the bar, arms crossed as he eyed Grillby critically. Wondering what it was about, but not feeling the need to ask yet, Sans walked over and hauled himself up onto a stool.

"Sup Grills?" He asked, smiling. Grillby was frowning slightly at Papyrus in confusion before he turned to smile down at Sans.

-Not much, the Poker Tournament will start in a a half hour. I'm glad you could make it.- He said, his voice warm and inviting like always.

"Cool, I'll have a ketchup while I wait." As Grillby went to grab his preferred menu item Papyrus sat next to him at the bar, looking like he was deep in thought. Every once in a while he would fidget, looking around at the other monsters, before going back to scrutinizing them. At one point he got up to go talk to a Guardsman and left them alone at the bar.

-What's going on with your brother?- The bartender asked, one eyebrow raised slightly.

"Not a clue. But ever since I got back he's been very protective of me. I think he's afraid I'll disappear again, or get hurt." Shrugging he sipped at his ketchup as the fire monster nodded.

-He is a good brother.- Sans smiled up at Grillby and received a smile in return. There was that feeling again, a small knot in his stomach. Like a Moldsmal wiggling around in his nonexistent guts.

"He is." Was all he said as the tournament began behind him. Hopping off the stool he wandered over and smirked as the Guards had pulled Papyrus into their game. The taller skeleton seemd to be having a blast so he wandered over to another table and joined in.

A couple hours, and multiple drinks, later Papyrus, the other Guard, and the Nice Cream salesman were the last four left. As the game ended Sans had to get up and move so that the Nice Cream salesman could get out of the booth. Grillby had just brought over another tray of drinks and set them down when Sans tripped over his slipper and started to fall. Efore anyone else could react Grillby had caught him in his arms with a sigh of relief.

-You should be more careful, Sans. You are fragile and I don't want to see you hurt.- Sans felt a rush of magic between them, like a sudden jolt, and his face flushed slightly. Grillby set him upright and let go, though he seemed to do so reluctantly. During all of this Papyrus had been watching them, his eyes wide.

"Thanks, I'll t-try to be careful." Sans said as he slid back into the booth.

In the end papyrus had ended up winning the tournament, though how was anyone's guess since he had a horrible Poker Face. As the last of the stragglers started filing out Sans went to say good-bye to Grillby.

-Do you want me to escort you home?- He asked, almost sounding hopeful. Sans gave him his usual smile but shook his head.

"It's okay, Papyrus is with me today. So I'll be alright." As he was saying this, however, Papyrus had come over and crossed his arms, giving Grillby a pointed stare.

-Is there something wrong Papyrus? You've been acting a little… oddly today.- The flame monster finally asked. Sans looked between them, a little confused. He'd noticed Papyrus's attitude as well but didn't understand why. He'd never told Papyrus about Chillby and he wasn't having a bad reaction to the bar owner.

"I have come to a conclusion. Grillby- you like my brother don't you?" At first Sans wanted to snicker and say, 'of course, we're friends' but at the serious look on both of their faces he knew that the question was not a simple one. He chalked up this slow realization to all the ketchup he'd been drinking earlier.

-Yes, I do. Is that going to be a problem?- Sans' face flushed with warmth and his eyes went wide. He'd known that Grillby felt… something for him. But he had never tried to delve too deeply into the topic because he was too nervous.

"No, that is not a problem. In fact, I think it's really wonderful that Sans has someone like you to look after him. However! If you wish to date my brother you will need to ask the permission of the Great Papyrus!" Stated his brother confidently. Sans felt his face flush deeper and he groaned, closing his eyes and putting a hand against his face. This seemed familiar yet very, very, different.

-I think that if I did ask Sans out on a date it should be up to him whether or not he wishes to go.- Grillby said, standing a little straighter, the flames on his body seeming to burn a little brighter. Papyrus stood his ground.

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold on, time out. This is the first I'm hearing about this, and I think that we should all just cool it a bit for a second." Hearing the slight worry in his voice both Grillby and Papyrus relaxed, not wanting to hurt Sans.

Rubbing at his forehead for a moment he turned to Papyrus and gave him a cheeky smile.

"I understand what you're trying to do. When I came home I wasn't in a good place, and I'm still not completely there yet. But you don't need to worry about me rushing into anything. I promised I'd be open with you. If I do start to date, I'll tell you about it. You're not going to lose me; you're my brother. Nothing can take that away from us." Papyrus' expression softened and he smiled, seeming more like himself. It was nice to know how much he cared but too much could be smothering and he was sure Papyrus realized it now.

"Um, as for going on a date and how I feel about you, well… I know that I'm not against the idea, and I think you're a wonderful person. Someone I can rely on and might even have certain feelings for. But I can't rush into anything, especially not now. If you, er, want to go somewhere together sometime soon that would be really nice. But, I need things to be slow." During the time he was speaking his eyes had somehow found themselves staring at the wooden floorboards. His soul was quivering slightly, he felt so exposed and felt afraid that Grillby would reject his idea.

A warm hand lifted his chin so that he couldn't help but look back at the flaming monster. He gave Sans one of the warmest, most accepting smiles he had ever seen before he finally spoke.

-Sans, I never wanted to rush you into anything. Your friendship is important to me and if we go further with our relationship I want you to know that I will be patient. I don't want to see you hurt, especially if I can do something to prevent it.- Tears came to the corners of his eye-sockets and he couldn't help but wipe them away. Damn, he'd been a crybaby lately.

"I am glad to hear you say that Grillby. If Sans wishes to go out with you then I will accept it, and give my blessing." Said his brother with a cheerful nod. Sans wanted to sigh, since when did Papyrus start understanding things like dating anyway? Either Red mentioned something or he'd been spending too much time with Alphys and her Anime.

"Well, um, goodnight Grillby. I-I think I really need to go pass out now." He said with a shy smile. Grillby chuckled and pulled away, bidding them both goodnight.

On the way back to their shared home Sans stared off into the distance, wondering how everything could have changed so quickly and why, even though he had gone through so much pain, did it seem like his life had improved? Being open with Papyrus and getting more involved with other monster's lives made things seem far less bleak. Even if they were still trapped underground.

"What are you thinking about Sans?" Looking up at his brother Sans grinned.

"Just, how lucky I am to be here. And how lucky I am to have people who care about me. I really don't deser-" He wasn't able to finish the sentence before Papyrus stopped and frowned at him before suddenly pulling him into a hug.

"Don't you dare. Out of every monster I have ever known you, Sans, are the one who deserves happiness the most." Snuggling into the warmth of his brother's hug he felt, for once, that Papyrus just might be right. After everything he had been through and everything he had done; he did deserve to be happy. Next time the kid showed up things were going to be different. They would be ready for the human this time.


End file.
